A dismissed Nigerian soldier, Lance Corporal Rotimi Olamilekan, who was previously detained for criticising political leaders, has spoken out following his removal from the Nigerian Army, recounting what he described as months of suffering, humiliation, and deprivation of basic rights.

“I was arrested and dismissed as a Nigerian soldier because of a video I made last year, where I called on politicians’ children to join the military,” Olamilekan said in a video seen on Wednesday evening.

The dismissed soldier had previously gone viral after urging ministers, governors, lawmakers and local government chairmen to send their children to the battlefield, amid growing casualties among rank-and-file troops fighting insurgency.

In his latest narration, Olamilekan said he was arrested from his duty post and treated like a criminal.

“I was arrested because of a video I made, saying that ministers, governors, and local government chairmen, all politicians, should send their sons into the army to fight terrorists,” he said.

“This is the reason I was arrested. From my location, they handcuffed my legs and hands. It was as if I had stolen or killed.”

He explained that at the time of his arrest, he had been stationed in a remote bush location in the North-East for over four years.

“They moved me from there because I was inside the bush, and I had been there for about four years and nine months, staying in that location,” he added.

Olamilekan narrated how he was transferred across multiple detention facilities, including military formations in Borno State and Abuja.

“From there, they moved me to Maiduguri, 70th Provost MP Guard Room. From there, they took me to Abuja SIB. I was there for more than a month,” he said.

“They brought me back from Abuja to the 70th, then took me back to my location, and I was still locked up with handcuffs on my legs and hands, as if I had stolen something.”

According to him, he was later formally charged without being allowed to properly defend himself.

“They gave me a paper for my charges, four charges, but I will give details later because I can’t provide everything now,” he said.

“They called out my order and read the charges, the first, second, third, and fourth, and I was dismissed, dismissed from the regiment, just because of the video I made.”

He expressed shock at the outcome, describing it as evidence of a lack of free speech in Nigeria.

“I didn’t expect this. It shows that in our country, we don’t have freedom of speech, and we are not free to say the truth,” he lamented.

The dismissed soldier also alleged harsh and degrading treatment during his detention, particularly during his time in Abuja.

“I really suffered. I suffered a lot in Abuja, with handcuffs on my legs and hands for over a month,” he said.

“Even the feeding was just twice a day, small portions, not even up to N500 worth of food. No calls. I couldn’t talk to my family or anyone. They collected my phone.”

He added that after his dismissal, he was publicly disgraced and expelled from the barracks.

“It was after they dismissed me that they marched me out. I was dismissed from my unit and taken to the 7th Division. From there, they marched me out of the barracks as a dismissed soldier. It is so sad,” he said.

Olamilekan appealed to Nigerians and civil society groups to support his quest for justice.

“I don’t have anyone to fight for me, but I know God will fight for me because this is not right,” he said.

“Please, I want people to continue standing for me and help me fight for justice because I never expected this.”

Reflecting on his years of service, the dismissed soldier insisted he had maintained a clean record prior to the incident.

“I spent eight years in service. Since 2018, when I joined the army, I have never been charged until now because of social media,” he said.

“I have never fought anyone, never stolen, never killed, and never been involved in any misconduct. But because I spoke the truth on social media… I was dismissed.”

He further highlighted his prolonged deployment in Maiduguri without recognition or relief.

“I spent four years and nine months in Maiduguri, and nobody spoke about it or came to change my situation,” he said.

“I really suffered. They treated me badly… but no problem, glory be to God. Where there is life, there is hope.”

It had earlier been reported that Olamilekan was arrested on February 11, 2026, following a directive allegedly ordering his transfer to Army Headquarters in Abuja.

Sources had revealed that he was denied access to his family and legal representation during his detention.

In the earlier viral video that led to his arrest, Olamilekan had emotionally decried the loss of fellow soldiers on the battlefield and called on political leaders to show greater commitment by allowing their children to serve.

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 things wey be say e dey comot tears for my eye day by day. In this country, we have 36 governors, we have like 109 senators, even ministers, we have like almost 60 (The way I keep losing my colleagues is reaching a point where it brings tears to my eyes every day. In this country, we have 36 governors, about 109 senators, nearly 60 ministers),” he said in Pidgin English.

“We have House of Representatives, chairmen of local governments – 774. Let each one of them bring their son to join the Nigerian Army (We have members of the House of Representatives, and 774 local government chairmen. Let each of them send their own son to join the Nigerian Army).”

A woman has shared a disturbing account of her abduction in Abuja, detailing how kidnappers allegedly exploited her personal information during captivity.

According to her, she was kidnapped while going home in a bus and kept blindfolded for two days as her captors demanded a ransom of ₦5 million from her family and friends.

She further alleged that while she was still in captivity, the abductors accessed her phone and used it to download a loan application.

With her ATM card and identification documents in her possession at the time, they reportedly secured a loan of ₦148,000 without her knowledge.

The victim said she remained unaware of the transaction throughout her ordeal, as she was blindfolded and focused on pleading for her life.

She revealed that when she later found out and wrote to the loan app, they insisted she must pay off the loan.

“I was kidnapped in a bus in Abuja. They blindfolded my eyes for two days. Even after asking for ransom of 5 million from my family and friends, they took a loan. They downloaded a loan app on my phone, and I always carry my ATM card and my ID cards in my bag, so they used it to up the loan app and took a loan of 148 thousand Naira. I didn’t even know about the loan all the time I was there cause I was blindfolded and just begging for my life….” she partly said.

A husband was left shocked and reportedly had to end his marriage after discovering photos of his wife with another man while using Google Maps.

The man was using Google Maps to plan a route before setting off on a journey when he noticed an image of his wife sitting on a bench, stroking the hair of another man whose head rested in her lap.

Captured by a Google camera vehicle in Lima, the Peruvian capital, the stunned husband said the photograph grabbed his attention because the woman pictured seemed to be wearing identical clothing to pieces his wife owned.

Although the photo dated back to 2013, the furious husband challenged his wife with proof of her previous betrayal.

The pair, whose identities remain anonymous, subsequently divorced after the woman confessed to having an affair.

In a twist of fate, she was photographed with her lover on a bench near the city’s Puente de los Suspiros de Barranco (Bridge of Sighs of the Ravine).

The husband recently posted the photographs on Facebook where they sparked considerable reaction amongst users.

One social media commenter, San Pateste, said: “What a small world it is… It would have been enough if she said to her husband that she did not love him any more.”

Guillermo Sanchez added: “Out of 100 women, 90 per cent are not loyal, the rest are loyal and only have one eye (hahaha) or are immortal (hahaha).”