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Lance Corporal Rotimi Olamilekan, a former soldier from Nigeria, has stirred up conversation online by candidly discussing the difficult circumstances he endured during his military service. He has shared insights into his pay, working conditions, and deployment experiences.
During an appearance on The Honest Bunch Podcast, hosted by human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, Olamilekan revealed the shockingly low wages he received, despite the inherent dangers of his military role.
“The final salary I earned as an ex-army officer before my dismissal was ₦109,000. Prior to that, my salary was ₦51,000, plus a ₦20,000 SACRS allowance, totaling ₦71,000. It was only last year they decided to increase it. The hardship was immense. Beyond the salary, there was nothing else,” he explained.
Olamilekan also disclosed that soldiers frequently need to purchase their own gear, including uniforms and boots, which can be quite costly.
He mentioned that crucial equipment like armor and bulletproof vests are often unavailable unless there are special events or high-profile visitors, where they are used as a display.
“They don’t give us uniforms; we buy them ourselves. Uniform is about ₦55,000, boots cost ₦60,000. Even armour and bulletproof vests, nobody will give you. If you see a soldier wearing it for free, it’s probably because there’s an occasion,” he added.
He also spoke about his long deployment in Maiduguri, revealing that he spent nearly five years in the conflict zone despite initial promises of a shorter rotation period.
Olamilekan’s ordeal began after he recorded and shared a video last year urging ministers, governors, lawmakers, and local government chairmen to send their sons to the battlefield.
He was, however, arrested directly from his duty post in the North-East, where he had been deployed for several years, and was later dismissed from service.
Watch the video below…
Between Soja boy and Sowore;💔💔
“As a soldier, my last Salary was 109k. It was 51k before, they just increased it to 109 last year. Our uniform alone is 55k, boot is 60k and we pay for them with our money…Same with helmet and bull£t proof vest. I spent 4 years,9months in… pic.twitter.com/nnWqBF2ZwJ
— Oyindamola🙄 (@dammiedammie35) April 5, 2026