The Nigerian Senate has passed for second reading the Armed Forces (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2025, which seeks to prohibit the recruitment of persons under 18 into the military. The proposed reform aligns Nigeria’s military practices with the Child Rights Act, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
Sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua of Katsina Central, the bill aims to replace the Armed Forces Act of 2004 with a new law that meets current democratic and security realities. Yar’Adua said the legislation was designed to modernise military governance, strengthen accountability, and ensure respect for human rights within the armed forces.
The proposed reforms expand the definition of military offences, criminalise interference with courts-martial, and allow qualified military lawyers to represent the Armed Forces in civil cases. It also introduces a litigation fund for timely handling of military legal matters and replaces outdated fines with salary-based penalties that better reflect present economic conditions.
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The bill further clarifies the military’s chain of command by vesting operational control in the Chief of Defence Staff under the authority of the President, as stated in the Constitution. It reinforces civilian oversight of the military and eliminates ambiguities in command reporting. The legislation has been referred to the Senate Joint Committee on Army, Navy, and Air Force, which is expected to report back in four weeks.
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