Celebrity Soldier Detained Months For Slamming Tinubu, Army

A Nigerian soldier popularly known as “Celebrity Soldier,” identified as Babi Baski-Bag, has reportedly been held in military detention for more than seven months after publicly criticising Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Nigerian Army over alleged heavy casualties at the war front.

According to a report by SaharaReporters, the soldier was detained shortly after releasing a viral video in which he condemned what he described as the continued loss of troops in the fight against insurgency. In the footage, he also challenged political leaders and military authorities to enlist their own children in the Army rather than sending other Nigerians to the battlefield.

In the video circulated widely on social media prior to his arrest, Baski-Bag introduced himself and issued a direct appeal to fellow members of the Armed Forces, urging them to speak out against what he called troubling developments within the military.

“I go by the name Babi Baski-Bag, the celebrity soldier. In case you didn’t know me before, you will know me today. Because my mummy always says, the devil you know is better than the angel you don’t know.”

“Ladies and gentlemen of the Nigerian Armed Forces, please stand up. Arise! Something fishy is going down deeply,” he said.

The soldier alleged that troops were being sacrificed while those in positions of authority remained insulated from the realities of war. He lamented that many soldiers continued to risk their lives while the children of influential figures lived safely abroad.

“They need us not just that someone will carry us and be counting money inside their pockets, while their children are abroad going to school. How far? Carry your children and let them come and join the army. I’m tired,” he said.

Baski-Bag also questioned the silence surrounding reported killings of soldiers, asking, “Are we stone or firewood?” He warned that continued losses without accountability could trigger unrest among troops and citizens alike.

In a direct message to President Tinubu, the soldier expressed frustration over what he perceived as a lack of response to the situation.

“I don’t even think that we have a president. Is our president alive? Mr President… what is happening now? They are killing Nigerian soldiers,” he said.

Following the video’s circulation, he was reportedly arrested by military authorities and has remained in detention since then, although the Nigerian Army has yet to publicly comment on the case.

The development mirrors an earlier incident involving Rotimi Olamilekan, also known as “Soja Boi,” who gained national attention in February 2026, after posting a viral video criticising the treatment of soldiers and calling on political leaders to allow their children experience military service firsthand.

In his widely shared remarks, Olamilekan urged governors, senators and ministers to send their sons to the frontlines to better understand the realities faced by troops.

He was subsequently arrested, detained and later dismissed from service. The Nigerian Army stated that his discharge was due to repeated acts of indiscipline, including violations of the Armed Forces Social Media Policy and unauthorised media engagements, rather than the substance of his comments.

The detention of Baski-Bag has since sparked renewed concerns over freedom of expression within the military, as well as the welfare and treatment of soldiers engaged in Nigeria’s ongoing counter-insurgency operations.