₦airaland Forum

By Fawzi Kehinde

A dismissed Nigerian soldier, Rotimi Olamilekan, popularly known as Soja Boi, has dared the Nigerian Army to release its payroll after displaying bank transaction alerts he said proved that soldiers earn modest wages and are compelled to buy their own protective gear.

Olamilekan, a former lance corporal with service number 18NA/77/1009, made the fresh claims in a video posted on Tuesday, hours after the Army described his earlier allegations as false and misleading.

He was quick to clarify his intentions.

“I am not trying to spoil the Nigerian Army’s image or make people look at them as if they are not good. But I am just speaking the facts and I will be backing them with evidence,” he said.

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In the video, he showed three bank transaction alerts he said were evidence of payments he received while in service.

The first, dated February 2, 2026, showed a credit of N112,061.59 with a narration referencing “NIC-ARMY AC.”

https://cdn.punchng.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/08072219/Screenshot-2026-04-08-064114.png

Screenshot of the payment receipt of N112,061.59. Photo: Soja Boy Giran President
The second, dated February 4, 2026, showed a N20,000 credit with a narration reading “RTGS INFLOW FROM CBNi B/ORFL CENTRAL B.”

https://cdn.punchng.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/08072220/Screenshot-2026-04-08-064125.png

Screenshot of the payment receipt of N20,000. Photo: Soja Boy Giran President
The third, dated November 4, 2025, showed a N45,000 credit with a narration referencing “SKYSTONE FINANCE COMPANY LTD.”

https://cdn.punchng.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/08072221/Screenshot-2026-04-08-064148.png

Screenshot of the payment receipt of N45,000. Photo: Soja Boy Giran President
He identified the N112,061.59 as his salary, the N20,000 as grumbling allowance and the N45,000 as an operational allowance paid only to soldiers deployed to active theatres such as Maiduguri.

He said a security allowance of N6,000 also existed.

He stressed that the operational allowance was not a standing entitlement.

“If you are not in operation, they don’t pay you that one. If you go on operation, they will pay you,” he said.

On the N20,000 allowance, he noted that its value may have changed but said he could not confirm this.

“People say they have increased it. I am not sure,” he said.

He added that soldiers on barracks duty received only a fraction of the total payments.

“If you are doing barracks duty, you are only entitled to your salary and that N20,000,” he said.

Olamilekan also maintained his earlier claim that soldiers purchase their own helmets, fragmentation jackets and other protective equipment.

“Helmet, you go buy. Fragmentation jacket, you go buy them,” he said.

He appealed to Nigerians with relatives in the military to verify his claims independently.

“I know so many people who would want to say these things but don’t know how to. Call your brother, call your sister, and ask them if I am lying,” he said.

He challenged the Army to make its payroll public.

“If they say I am lying, they should bring out their payroll. How much are they paying soldiers?” he said.

PUNCH could not independently verify the receipts.

While the narration on the first receipt contains a reference to “NIC-ARMY AC,” the narrations on the second and third receipts do not explicitly identify the Nigerian Army or any government institution as the paying body.

The documents are also bank transaction alerts and do not carry any official Army payroll reference or letterhead.

The Army had on Tuesday, in a statement by its Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Appolonia Anaele, dismissed Olamilekan’s claims as baseless.

It insisted that uniforms, kits, arms and protective gear were provided to all personnel through established logistics systems and that no soldier was deployed to an operational theatre without adequate protection.

The Army acknowledged that some personnel might choose to supplement issued kits but described such decisions as voluntary.

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

Olamilekan first drew national attention in February 2026 when a video in which he called on governors, senators and ministers to send their children to serve in the Army went viral.

He was subsequently arrested, spent his birthday in detention and was later dismissed.

The Army said his dismissal followed persistent acts of indiscipline, including violations of the Armed Forces Social Media Policy and unauthorised media appearances, and was unrelated to the content of his videos.

SeverusSnape:
Nigeria under tulumbu is a cesspit of corruption. A disgraced country indeed.

SmartPolician:
When we say we need smart people in government to create wealth for this country, people don't understand it. If you consider the number of workers the FG has to pay every month, you realize why those workers earn peanuts. Even if you add the money stolen in this country, Nigeria is still a poor country, given her population size.

Nigeria needs creative minds that will help her maximise her potential and earn more revenue, [b]the message that Peter Obi is propagating. [/b]If not, soldiers will keep earning peanuts or the country will have to start borrowing to pay them decent salaries and allowances.

SmartPolician:
When we say we need smart people in government to create wealth for this country, people don't understand it. If you consider the number of workers the FG has to pay every month, you realize why those workers earn peanuts. Even if you add the money stolen in this country, Nigeria is still a poor country, given her population size.

Nigeria needs creative minds that will help her maximise her potential and earn more revenue, the message that Peter Obi is propagating. If not, soldiers will keep earning peanuts or the country will have to start borrowing to pay them decent salaries and allowances.

alanto:
How many wealth or wealthy people did Peter Obi create in Anambra for 8 years?

alanto:
I swear, I saw the screenshots and cringe. I heard the guy was earning over 500k before Tinubu took over. He came in and reduced the salary to 112k. Very bad man.

alanto:
I swear, I saw the screenshots and cringe. I heard the guy was earning over 500k before Tinubu took over. He came in and reduced the salary to 112k. Very bad man.

Osiris12:
I get Peter obi number, you can ask him directly

alanto:
How many wealth or wealthy people did Peter Obi create in Anambra for 8 years?

SeverusSnape:
Nigeria under tulumbu is a cesspit of corruption. A disgraced country indeed.

Yemmysworld91:
Haba.. And you boldly typed this lie on a public fora. Tinubu recently increased their salary from what he met. Let's be factual

SmartPolician:
While Escobar was busy looting Lagos revenue for over 25 years, the brewery that Peter Obi used foresight to invest in as governor has grown so big to become the biggest state taxpayer in Anambra State after the banks. That's just one example.

Dantatanazzy007:
Hi Have you ever seen a convoy of an ordinary local government chairman...the car's alone is alone to pay the monthly salary for his constituency


Stop 🚏🛑🚏🛑🚏🛑🚏 defending Evil government Oga

Let's learn to hold government accountable

alanto:
Nobody has ever been able to defend Peter Obi successfully. Go and verify.
I've verified.

dre11:
Dismissed soldier Soja Boi backs pay claims with receipts, dares Army to release payroll



https://punchng.com/dismissed-soldier-soja-boi-b

alanto:
I swear, I saw the screenshots and cringe. I heard the guy was earning over 500k before Tinubu took over. He came in and reduced the salary to 112k. Very bad man.

alanto:
How many wealth or wealthy people did Peter Obi create in Anambra for 8 years?

alanto:
I'm giving you Obidient reasoning in a very transparent form.

oxygenlove:
I don’t understand.. did the previous administration increased their salary and Tinubu later decrease it?

alanto:
I swear, I saw the screenshots and cringe. I heard the guy was earning over 500k before Tinubu took over. He came in and reduced the salary to 112k. Very bad man.