A former lance corporal, Rotimi Olamilekan, popularly known as Soja Boi, has called on the Nigerian Army to make its payroll public, insisting that soldiers are poorly paid and often purchase their own protective equipment.
Olamilekan made the remarks in a video posted on Tuesday, hours after the Army dismissed his earlier claims as inaccurate.
In the video, he displayed bank transaction alerts which he said reflected payments he received while in service. One of the alerts, dated February 2, 2026, showed a credit of N112,061.59, which he identified as his monthly salary.
Another alert, dated February 4, 2026, showed a N20,000 credit, which he described as a “grumbling allowance,” while a third payment of N45,000 was said to be an operational allowance for personnel deployed to conflict zones such as Maiduguri.
He explained that the operational allowance was only paid to soldiers actively involved in field operations, noting that those on routine barracks duty received only their salary and the N20,000 allowance.
According to him, an additional security allowance of N6,000 also exists, though he noted that some of the figures may have been reviewed recently.
Olamilekan maintained that beyond the issue of wages, soldiers were often required to procure their own gear, including helmets and fragmentation jackets.
“Helmet, you go buy. Fragmentation jacket, you go buy them,” he said in the video.
He, however, said his comments were not intended to tarnish the image of the military but to present what he described as the reality faced by personnel.
“I am not trying to spoil the Nigerian Army’s image… I am just speaking the facts and I will be backing them with evidence,” he said.
The former soldier also urged Nigerians with relatives in the military to verify his claims, adding that many serving personnel may be unable to speak publicly.
He challenged the Army to respond by releasing its payroll, a move he said would clarify the issues raised.
