Dismissed Nigerian soldier, Rotimi Olamilekan, popularly known as Soja Boi, has claimed that he was mistreated and fell ill while in detention, despite defending his colleagues, following his arrest over a viral video.
Olamilekan shared his experience during an interview on the Honest Brunch Podcast, detailing his arrest, detention, and transfers across multiple military facilities.
He explained that his ordeal began when he was summoned to a brigade without any prior explanation.
“They asked someone to bring me to the brigade, saying they were looking for me. When I got there, I was wondering what I had done, because I knew I had not committed any offence,” he said.
Upon arrival at the Chief of Staff’s office, he was disarmed and immediately handcuffed—both hands and legs—by the Military Police.
“I slept with handcuffs on both my hands and legs till the next day. I kept asking what I did, but nobody told me anything,” Olamilekan recounted.
He was later informed that his arrest was related to alleged violations of social media regulations.
“The next day, they told me it was because of social media that I had violated some rules by speaking about certain issues,” he added.
Olamilekan claimed he was transferred between detention facilities, including Maiduguri and Abuja, while still in handcuffs, and that his presence on a civilian flight drew attention from other passengers.
“People were asking why I was in handcuffs. I had to explain that it was because of something I said on social media, so they would not think I was a criminal or a terrorist,” he said.
While detained in Abuja, he was asked to write a statement regarding the viral video.
“I wrote my statement and admitted that I made the video out of frustration about what my colleagues were going through,” he said.
Olamilekan alleged that some of the soldiers he had defended turned against him during the investigation.
“To my surprise, the same soldiers I was speaking for were the ones investigating me and still maltreating me,” he said.
He added that he spent about a month in detention under harsh conditions, during which he fell ill and had to pay for his own treatment.
“When I fell sick, the doctor asked if I had money. I said no. They took me back. Later, I had to find a way to transfer money and buy my own injections and drugs while in detention,” he claimed.
He was later returned to Maiduguri and continued to be held in military police custody.
Rotimi Olamilekan had gone viral in February 2026 after releasing a video criticizing the treatment of soldiers and urging political officeholders to let their children experience military service.
“In this country, we have 36 governors, we have senators, we have ministers. Let each one of them bring their son to join the Nigerian Army… so that they can come and witness what we face. Every day, this killing is too much,” he had said in the video.
Following his detention, the #FreeSojaBoi campaign gained traction on social media. After his release in March, he expressed gratitude to supporters.
“We are grateful to everyone who stood up, spoke out, and used their platforms to demand fairness. Your voices were heard,” he wrote on Instagram.
However, the Army, through its Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Appolonia Anele, dismissed claims that Soja Boi was punished for speaking out.
“The Nigerian Army categorically states that Mr Olamilekan was not dismissed for ‘speaking the truth’ or expressing opinions on political leadership. He was dismissed following persistent and grave acts of indiscipline, including violations of the Armed Forces Social Media Policy,” the statement read.
The Army emphasized that as a professional institution, it follows strict rules and regulations guiding personnel conduct. Olamilekan’s actions were said to breach multiple provisions, including unauthorized media appearances, commercialisation of military identity, partisan content creation, and misuse of military uniform. His dismissal followed due process under military laws.
“The Nigerian Army remains committed to the highest standards of discipline, accountability, and troop welfare. Operational decisions regarding postings and deployments are guided strictly by strategic and operational requirements,” the Army added, urging the public to disregard false narratives aimed at attracting sympathy.