Lance Corporal Shaibu Muhammed, a Nigerian soldier who was secretly detained by military authorities for speaking out against the government’s neglect of wounded soldiers, has been released following SaharaReporters’ report.
Muhammed had publicly criticised the military’s failure to provide adequate medical care for injured personnel, revealing that many were forced to pay for their own treatment.
SaharaReporters has learnt that the soldier has been summarily dismissed from the Nigerian Army for openly advocating for responsible leadership within the military.
Confirming his release, Nigerian human rights activist Omoyele Sowore announced it on his X account on Wednesday.
According to Sowore, Muhammed was arrested in February 2025 and detained for several days, with a second arrest occurring on March 14, 2025.
The human rights activist explained that Muhammed’s release was due to the publicity generated by advocacy efforts. He added that Muhammed has pledged to continue fighting for justice.
Sowore stated, “It is heartening to note that Soldierman Lance Corporal Shaibu Muhammed has been released from military detention, although he was summarily dismissed from the Nigerian Army @HQNigerianArmy for openly advocating for responsible leadership within the military.
“He was initially arrested in February 2025 and detained for several days, with a second arrest occurring on March 14, 2025, from which he has now been released, likely due to the publicity generated by our advocacy efforts. He has pledged to continue.”
SaharaReporters previously reported that the Nigerian soldier had been missing, and there were fears that the military authorities had secretly detained him after speaking out about the government’s neglect of wounded soldiers forced to pay for their own medical treatment.
The soldier had posted multiple videos criticising the Nigerian Army’s treatment of lower-ranked personnel, particularly those injured in combat.
The soldier lamented that despite sacrificing their lives to defend the nation, wounded troops are left without government support for their medical expenses.
He had claimed that many injured soldiers at military hospitals, including 44 Hospital in Kaduna and 7 Division in Borno State, had been struggling for years, covering their own treatment costs.
His arrest followed his outspoken comments regarding the Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), whom he accused of only speaking out against alleged Western sponsorship of Boko Haram after being denied a visa to Canada.
He added that the issue might never have been raised publicly if the visa had been granted.
The soldier expressed frustration in his videos, and even fellow troops criticised him for exposing the situation. He warned that those ignoring the plight of wounded soldiers today might find themselves in the same situation in the future.
He also questioned the military’s lack of plans for retiring officers and accused senior officials of indifference toward injured personnel.
Acknowledging the likelihood of his arrest, he declared he was unafraid of dismissal or even death, stating that he would rather be expelled from the military than suffer an injury and be left to fend for himself.
He cited past instances where military whistleblowers, such as Seaman Abbas, were allegedly silenced for speaking out.
He said, “I already know that I’m going, so, Chief of Defence Staff, I have come to ask you this question personally. Don’t you know that some people are sponsoring these groups? If not for the fact that they denied you this visa, no one would have known that Western countries are sponsoring Boko Haram. If they had granted you that visa and you travelled to Canada, you wouldn’t have said anything and no one would know how they are sponsoring Boko Haram.
“This has come to an end; it is our prayers that are working. It is God who made them deny you that visa so that their secret would be exposed. We will continue praying that they keep denying you visas one by one so that all the secrets of those supporting these bad people in this country will be revealed.”
“We have suffered too much. Let this country be a good place for us. Even if you want to leave, make the country better before you go. That way, those of us who cannot leave will still have a good life here,” he said.
