‘Release your payroll if I’m lying’, dismissed soldier dares Army

A dismissed Nigerian soldier, Rotimi Olamilekan, popularly known as Soja Boi, has challenged the Nigerian Army to make its payroll public as controversy deepens over his claims on soldiers’ welfare and remuneration.

Olamilekan, a former lance corporal, made the call in a video posted on Tuesday, hours after the Army dismissed his earlier allegations as false and misleading.

In the video, he displayed bank transaction alerts which he said reflected his earnings while in service.

He identified a payment of N112,061.59 as his monthly salary, N20,000 as a “grumbling allowance,” and N45,000 as an operational allowance paid only to soldiers deployed to active theatres such as Maiduguri. He also mentioned a N6,000 security allowance.

According to him, soldiers not deployed to operations receive only their salary and the N20,000 allowance, noting that operational allowances are not a standing entitlement.

Olamilekan further alleged that personnel often purchase their own protective gear, including helmets and fragmentation jackets.

He said in Pidgin, translated as follows, “I have been seeing some trends online about the interview I granted, and I noticed that the Nigerian Army has countered it, saying it is false. It is not as if I am trying to damage the image of the Nigerian Army or make it look bad. No. I am simply stating the facts, and I will back them up with evidence.

“This receipt is my salary. The second one is the N20,000 I mentioned. There is another one, the operational allowance. If you are in Maiduguri or deployed there, that is when you receive it. If you are not on operation, you will not be paid that allowance. The one you can see above is N45,000. There is also another one, a cigarette allowance, which is N6,000. Both the operational and cigarette allowances are only paid when you are on operation.

“So, if they say I am lying about the issue of uniforms, if you have a friend or relative in the Army, call them and ask whether I am telling the truth.”

He, however, said his intention was not to discredit the Army but to present what he described as facts backed by evidence, urging Nigerians to verify his claims through relatives serving in the military.

Vanguard could not independently verify the bank alerts presented by Olamilekan.

Recall Vanguard on Tuesday reported that the Nigerian Army, in a statement by its acting director of Army public relations, Appolonia Anaele, described Olamilekan’s claims in his earlier viral video as baseless.

The Army maintained that uniforms, kits, arms and protective gear are issued to all personnel through established logistics systems and that no soldier is deployed without adequate protection.

On remuneration, the Army said personnel receive consolidated monthly salaries alongside uniform allowances, operational allowances and other mission-specific entitlements paid directly into their accounts.

The Army added that Olamilekan’s dismissal was due to persistent acts of indiscipline, including violations of the Armed Forces Social Media Policy and unauthorised media appearances, and was not related to the content of his videos.