Dismissed Nigerian soldier Rotimi Olamilekan, popularly known as Soja Boi, has challenged the Nigerian Army to make its payroll public after displaying bank transaction alerts he says prove soldiers earn modest wages and are forced to buy their own protective gear.
Olamilekan, a former lance corporal with service number 18NA/77/1009, made the claims in a video posted on Tuesday, hours after the Army dismissed his earlier allegations as false and misleading.
“I am not trying to spoil the Nigerian Army’s image. But I am just speaking the facts and I will be backing them with evidence,” he said.
He presented three bank alerts as proof. The first, dated February 2, 2026, showed a credit of ₦112,061.59 referenced to “NIC-ARMY AC,” which he identified as his salary.
The second showed a ₦20,000 credit he described as a grumbling allowance.
While the third showed ₦45,000 from Skystone Finance Company, which he said was an operational allowance paid only to soldiers deployed to active theatres such as Maiduguri.
He said a ₦6,000 security allowance also existed.
He noted that soldiers on barracks duty received only their salary and the ₦20,000 allowance, with the operational payment reserved strictly for those in the field.
Olamilekan also restated his claim that soldiers purchase their own helmets and fragmentation jackets, and urged Nigerians with relatives in the military to verify his account independently.
“If they say I am lying, they should bring out their payroll. How much are they paying soldiers?” he said.
However the receipts could not be independently verified by THE STAR.
While the first alert references “NIC-ARMY AC,” the narrations on the second and third do not identify the Army or any government institution as the paying body.
None of the documents carry an official payroll reference or letterhead.
The Army, in a statement by Acting Director of Army Public Relations Appolonia Anaele, maintained that uniforms, kits, arms and protective gear were provided to all personnel through established logistics systems, and that any supplementary purchases were voluntary.
It said soldiers received consolidated monthly salaries alongside uniform, operational and mission-specific allowances.
The Army added that Olamilekan’s dismissal followed persistent acts of indiscipline, including violations of its Social Media Policy and unauthorised media appearances, and was unrelated to the content of his videos.
Olamilekan first gained national attention in February 2026 after a video in which he urged governors, senators and ministers to enlist their children in the Army went viral.
He was subsequently arrested, detained over his birthday and later dismissed from service.
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