A Nigerian soldier popularly known as Celebrity Soldier, identified as Babi Bask-Bag, has reportedly remained in military detention for more than seven months after publicly criticising the Nigerian Army over alleged heavy troop casualties at the war front.
According to reports, Baski-Bag was detained after releasing an emotional video in which he condemned the continued deaths of soldiers battling insurgency and questioned the treatment of frontline personnel by military authorities.
In the now-circulated video, he introduced himself and called on fellow members of the armed forces to speak up about what he described as a deeply troubling situation within the military.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the Nigerian Armed Forces, please stand up. Arise! Something fishy is going down deeply,” he said.
The soldier alleged that ordinary troops were being sacrificed while those in positions of authority remained untouched and comfortable, with their families living safely abroad. He questioned why soldiers were repeatedly sent into danger while the children of powerful people were not enlisted to serve.
According to him, the silence surrounding the deaths of troops had become unbearable, and many soldiers were beginning to feel abandoned.
He said soldiers were dying in large numbers while little attention was being paid to their welfare, sacrifices, or the emotional burden carried by those left behind at the front lines.
In one of the most striking parts of the video, Baski-Bag suggested that if the situation continued without accountability, it could lead to a total collapse of morale among troops.
He also directly addressed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, questioning what he described as the government’s silence in the face of the killing of Nigerian soldiers.
“I don’t even think that we get a president. Is our president alive? Mr President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, please, what is happening now?” he said in the video.
He further expressed frustration over what he portrayed as a lack of urgency from national leadership, saying soldiers were being killed while those in power appeared disconnected from the reality on the battlefield.
Following the circulation of the video, the soldier was reportedly arrested by military authorities and has allegedly remained in detention ever since.
The development has now sparked criticism from human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, who condemned the alleged prolonged detention and accused the military of repeatedly mistreating the very personnel risking their lives to defend the country.
Sowore argued that the Army must stop what he described as a pattern of abuse against serving personnel and called on Nigerians to pay closer attention to the welfare of troops fighting insurgency.
At the heart of this issue is a difficult but important question: Should a soldier be punished for speaking publicly about frontline suffering, or should such complaints trigger urgent reform?
That is why this story is gaining attention. It is no longer just about one soldier in detention — it has become part of a wider debate about military welfare, troop morale, transparency, and how Nigeria treats those fighting its wars.