A female soldier is released and spends Christmas with her family when Gen. Yahaya pleads for forgiveness.

…As the Army urges her not to repeat such an act.

Encouraged by the Christmas spirit, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Faruk Yahaya, has pleaded with Military authorities to pardon a female soldier who publicly accepted the proposal of a male member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Kwara State to be pardoned, according to military sources.

According to senior Army sources, Gen. Yahaya has made overtures to the leadership of the Nigerian armed forces in the last several days, urging that the soldier be pardoned.

Despite the intervention, the COAS insisted that the erring soldier should be severely chastised for engaging in any behavior that violates the military code of conduct for officers and troops, according to the sources.

Lt. Gen. Yahaya's "request for compassion" for the female soldier may be related to the fact that the Christmas season provides a chance for those who have sinned to be granted forgiveness.

The military administration has evaluated the Army Chief's petition and ordered the soldier's release to spend Christmas with family and friends.

A video of a man corps member proposing to a girl soldier at the NYSC's Yikpata Orientation Camp in Kwara State recently leaked online and went viral.

In one of the video footage, some corps members can be seen conversing at a location that appears to be the orientation camp's parade field.

The conversation is still going on when the yet-to-be-identified corps member, who is seen clutching a ring, gets down on one knee and proposes to the soldier, with the lady accepting the proposal.

The corps member then places the ring on the finger of the clearly pleased soldier, eliciting applause from all present.

In another video, the couple is seen having lovey-dovey moments. The corps member is seen standing just behind him, wearing the lady's military headgear.

They then share a kiss, much to the pleasure of other corps members who are photographing the action.

Following the event, there were allegations that the soldier was arrested by the Army, an action that was widely condemned on social media.

"The COAS, in his wisdom, feels that by the time she is pardoned and forgiven, the young female soldier will have retraced her tracks and shown sorrow for engaging in behaviors that violate military ethical rules." As a result, he has been pleading for her pardon. This is what he has been up to in the last several days behind the scenes.

"I can confirm to you that an order has been issued for the soldier to be liberated and spend the Christmas with her family and friends with a strong warning for her not to repeat such act again," Nwachukwu added, confirming that the soldier will be released on Christmas Day.