Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
A serving Nigerian Army soldier has been detained by military authorities after posting a video on social media that quickly went viral in which he appealed to political leaders to send their sons and family members to join the country’s armed forces in the fight against terrorists and armed groups. The incident has sparked debate nationwide about soldier welfare, the human cost of prolonged counter-insurgency operations, and the limits on public political expression by serving military personnel.
The soldier, identified as Lance Corporal Rotimi Olamilekan, who is attached to the 81 Division Task Force Battalion based in Maiduguri, was reportedly picked up by fellow officers following the circulation of the video and transferred to the Nigerian Army Headquarters in Abuja for further questioning and detention.
In the video, which was posted online and viewed widely on platforms including Facebook and TikTok before being suppressed, Olamilekan is heard speaking in Pidgin English as he outlined the emotional toll of losing comrades in the ongoing fight against insurgency and banditry. He lamented the frequency of casualties suffered by his unit and urged Nigeria’s political office holders — including the 36 state governors, about 109 senators, federal ministers, members of the House of Representatives and 774 local government chairmen — to encourage their children to enlist and share in the sacrifices the military makes daily.
“The way I dey lose my colleagues, it is getting to things wey be say e dey comot tears for my eye day by day,” he said in the recording, before calling on political elites to have their sons serve alongside regular soldiers.
According to multiple reports, Olamilekan has been serving in Maiduguri for more than four years and eight months, participating in counter-insurgency operations without receiving a promotion or additional benefits, a circumstance he alluded to before making his emotional appeal.
Military authorities reportedly regarded the video as a breach of internal discipline and service regulations, prompting his arrest. He was initially held in a cell in Maiduguri before being moved to Abuja under military custody. Sources close to the soldier’s family say he has been held “incommunicado,” and efforts to facilitate contact with his relatives have been challenging, though some sympathetic colleagues informed his elderly mother of his transfer.
Details about any formal charges have not been officially disclosed by the Nigerian Army, and attempts to obtain comment from the military’s official spokesperson, Col. Appolonia Anele, were reported to have been unsuccessful as enquiries were reportedly not returned.
The incident has triggered mixed reactions across social media and public discourse. Some Nigerians have expressed support for the soldier’s emotional expression, interpreting his remarks as a candid reflection of the physical and emotional strains experienced by troops in active operational theatres, particularly in areas affected by Islamist insurgency and banditry, such as the Northeast region. Others have criticised the act as improper for a serving military member, arguing that soldiers are bound by military codes that restrict partisan or politically charged statements, particularly those made in public forums without authorisation. Analysts have stressed that professional military ethics and civilian control of the armed forces necessitate clear boundaries on the public commentary of serving personnel.
Security commentators have also linked the episode to ongoing concerns about force morale, troop welfare, and conditions of service within the Nigerian Army as it continues to engage in prolonged campaigns against violent extremist groups and criminal networks across multiple regions. Public debates around adequate equipment, psychological support, hazard pay, and career progression have periodically surfaced in relation to such operational pressures.
Several advocacy groups and civil society organisations have called on authorities to ensure due process in the soldier’s detention and to clarify the legal framework under which he was held. They argue that while military discipline is important, the welfare concerns raised by the soldier merit attention at institutional policy levels rather than punitive suppression.
At the time of reporting, no official statement from the federal government or the Nigerian Army had been issued publicly addressing the underlying concerns about troop sacrifices or the soldier’s detained status beyond acknowledgment of disciplinary action. Debate continues among military observers and public commentators over the balance between freedom of expression, institutional discipline, and open acknowledgment of frontline realities.
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