He Believed I Ran Away - Female Soldier Recalls When A Man Advised Her To Go Back Home After She Joined Nigerian Military

A female soldier, Annie, has recounted how a man once advised her to quit and return home shortly after she joined the Nigerian military seven years ago.

The officer, who disclosed this via X on Sunday, September 14, 2025, said the man thought she ran away and joined the military without her parents' consent. 

“When I first reported my unit in 2018, a certain man called me and advised me to go back home.

"He said he believed I ran away cos no parent would allow a child as young as me to join the military. It has been 7 years of giving my youth and strength to this country,” she wrote.