The Nigerian Army has summarily dismissed a detained Lance Corporal, Rotimi Olamilekan (service number 18NA/77/1009), after he was arrested for posting a video urging Nigerian politicians, ministers, governors, and others to send their sons to join the Army.
Olamilekan, who was serving with the 81 Division Task Force Battalion in Maiduguri, Borno State, was arrested and detained on February 11, 2026, following a directive reportedly issued for him to be brought to Army Headquarters in Abuja.
Multiple sources who spoke alleged that the soldier was dismissed after being subjected to degrading treatment while in detention.
A source said the soldier who has served for eight years was held in unsanitary conditions and locked up in the same cell with bandits and other criminal suspects, with his hands and legs cuffed.
SaharaReporters gathered that before his dismissal, Olamilekan’s health deteriorated due to a serious ailment, and that Army authorities allegedly refused to provide him with medical treatment despite his condition.
“He was locked up in the same place used for defecation and urination. He was detained with suspected terrorists and had both his hands and legs cuffed.
“I don’t think he deserves this kind of treatment after serving and defending his country for eight years. After all this punishment, he was still dismissed,” the source added.
The media had earlier reported on March 3, 2026, that Lance Corporal Olamilekan was apprehended at his location by fellow officers and detained in a cell in Maiduguri before being transferred to Abuja.
He was reportedly not allowed to inform his family members about his arrest but managed to ask colleagues to notify his aged mother that he had been taken to Abuja.
Since his detention, Olamilekan has allegedly been denied access to legal representation.
In the video posted on his Facebook page prior to his arrest, the soldier called on top government officials including ministers, senators, members of the House of Representatives, and local government chairmen to allow their sons to be recruited into the Nigerian Army to join the fight against banditry and insurgency across the country.
“The way I dey lose my colleagues, it is getting to a point where it brings tears to my eyes every day. In this country, we have 36 governors, about 109 senators, and nearly 60 ministers,” he said in Pidgin English.
“We also have members of the House of Representatives and 774 local government chairmen. Let each of them send their own sons to join the Nigerian Army.”
The Nigerian Army has not issued an official statement on the matter, despite public outcry and condemnation from Nigerians and civil society organisations.
Recall that a civil rights organisation, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), on March 7, 2026, called on the Nigerian Army authorities to immediately release the soldier.
RULAAC warned that silencing such voices through repression rather than engagement could damage military morale.
The organisation urged the military high command to either release the soldier or ensure he is granted access to his family and legal representation.
