A dismissed Nigerian soldier, Rotimi Olamilekan, has alleged that personnel of the Nigerian Army are forced to purchase their uniforms and protective gear with their own money despite earning modest salaries.
Olamilekan, popularly known as Soja Boi, reportedly, made the claims during an interview on the Honest Brunch Podcast alongside activist Omoyele Sowore.
The former lance corporal, who served with the 81 Division Task Force Battalion in Borno State, disclosed that his salary ranged between ₦109,000 and ₦111,000 before his dismissal in March 2026. He added that prior to a recent increment, he earned about ₦51,000 monthly.
According to him, surviving on such income was extremely difficult.
“The suffer no be small. Apart from the salary, nothing dey enter for you as a soldier,” he said.
Olamilekan alleged that soldiers are not provided with uniforms by the military, contrary to public expectations.
“No, they don’t give uniform. Soldiers buy them,” he stated.
He explained that a standard military uniform costs about ₦55,000, while a pair of boots could go as high as ₦60,000—amounts that sometimes exceed a soldier’s monthly earnings.
He further claimed that essential protective gear such as bulletproof vests and helmets are rarely issued.
“Nobody will give you. If anything happens, na you go face am without bulletproof,” he said.
According to him, such equipment is only temporarily made available during visits by high-ranking officials.
The dismissed soldier also recounted spending over four years and nine months in Maiduguri, Borno State, far exceeding the standard two-year deployment rotation.
“I don do double, even the third,” he said.
He noted that soldiers are frequently deployed to high-risk areas such as Sambisa Forest without adequate protection.
Olamilekan went viral in February 2026 after releasing a video criticising the treatment of soldiers and calling on political leaders to allow their children experience military service.
“Let each of them bring their son to join the Army… so they can witness what we face,” he said.
Following the video, he was arrested and later dismissed from service, a move he believes was directly linked to his remarks.
His detention sparked the #FreeSojaBoi campaign on social media before his eventual release in March.
When contacted, spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, Lieutenant Colonel Appolonia Anaele,reportedly said an official response would be issued.
“I’ll get back to you with a formal statement,” she said.
As at the time of filing this report, no official statement on the issue had been made available to Newsmen.
