Rotimi Olamilekan, also known as Soja Boi, a fired Nigerian soldier, has challenged the Nigerian Army to divulge its payroll after exhibiting bank transaction alerts he claimed demonstrated that troops receive meager pay and are forced to purchase their own protective gear.
Olamilekan, a former lance corporal with service number 18NA/77/1009, made the new claims in a video that was uploaded on Tuesday, only hours after the Army called his previous accusations deceptive and untrue.
He quickly made his intentions clear.
“I’m not attempting to damage the Nigerian Army’s reputation or paint them in a negative light. However, I am merely stating the facts, and I will provide proof to support them,” he stated.
He displayed three bank transaction alerts in the video, claiming they were proof of monies he had received throughout his employment.
The first, dated February 2, 2026, included a narration mentioning “NIC-ARMY AC” and a credit of N112,061.59.
The second, dated February 4, 2026, showed a N20,000 credit with a narration reading “RTGS INFLOW FROM CBNi B/ORFL CENTRAL B.”
The third, dated November 4, 2025, showed a N45,000 credit with a narration referencing “SKYSTONE FINANCE COMPANY LTD.
screenshot of the N45,000 payment receipt. Soja Boy Giran President’s photo
He stated that his pay was N112,061.59, his grumbling allowance was N20,000, and his operational allowance, which was only given to soldiers stationed in active theaters like Maiduguri, was N45,000.
He added that there was an N6,000 security allowance.
He emphasized that there was no permanent right to the operating allowance.
“They don’t pay you that one if you’re not operating. “They will pay you if you go on operation,” he stated.
He mentioned that the value of the N20,000 allowance might have altered, but he was unable to verify this.
“People claim that it has increased. “I’m not sure,” he remarked.
Only a small portion of the total funds were sent to soldiers serving in barracks, he continued.
“You are only entitled to your salary and that N20,000 if you are performing barracks duty,” he stated.
Additionally, Olamilekan upheld his previous assertion that soldiers buy their own fragmentation jackets, helmets, and other protective gear.
“Go purchase a helmet. “Go buy them, fragmentation jacket,” he urged.
He urged Nigerians with military kin to independently confirm his assertions.
“I know a lot of people who would like to say these things but are unsure of how.” “Ask your sister and brother if I’m lying,” he continued.
He challenged the Army to make its payroll public.
“They ought to produce their payroll if they claim that I am lying. He said, “How much are they paying soldiers?”
PUNCH was unable to independently confirm the receipts.
Although “NIC-ARMY AC” is mentioned in the narration on the first receipt, neither the Nigerian Army nor any other government organization is specifically named as the paying body in the narrations on the second or third receipts.
There is no official Army payroll reference or letterhead on the documents, which are also bank transaction alerts.
Appolonia Anaele, the Army’s Acting Director of Army Public Relations, rejected Olamilekan’s allegations as unfounded in a statement on Tuesday.
It demanded that no soldier be sent to an active theater without proper protection and that all personnel receive uniforms, kits, weapons, and protective gear via established logistics channels.
While acknowledging that some soldiers might decide to add to their provided kits, the Army characterized these choices as voluntary.
Regarding compensation, the Army stated that in addition to uniform allowances, operational allowances, and other mission-specific entitlements paid directly into their accounts, members earned consolidated monthly pay.
In February 2026, a video in which Olamilekan urged senators, governors, and ministers to enlist their children in the Army went viral, garnering him national exposure for the first time.
After that, he was taken into custody for his birthday before being fired.
According to the Army, his dismissal was unrelated to the substance of his videos and resulted from frequent acts of indiscipline, including unapproved media appearances and violations of the Armed Forces Social Media Policy.
