There is widespread anger after the video of a long-serving Nigerian soldier, known publicly as King Dino or Wisdom Man, surfaced online, showing he was dismissed from the Nigerian Army after 19 years in service.
The soldier was reportedly dismissed over allegations of “cultism” and “insubordination.”
Throughout the video, the narrator, known only as The Moon, repeatedly questioned the Army’s decision and described the soldier as a frontline warrior who spent years battling Boko Haram in the Northeast.
He began by asking Nigerians:
“Nigerians, how many of you remember this soldier? They call him King Dino. He is also known as Wisdom Man. They know him with the popular slang.”
“Do you know this soldier joined the Nigerian Army in the year 2006? After 19 years in service… this soldier, who a fighter, who has been a mentor to many soldiers, who is a brave soldier, that has been in the North East, in the battlefield, in the front line, fighting to save this country… do you know that this soldier has been dismissed from the Nigerian Army after 19 years in service?”
He claimed the army demoted the soldier before dismissing him.
“He was supposed to be a sergeant, but they don derank this guy. Then derank him, they dismiss this soldier,” The Moon said.
He further alleged that before the dismissal, the soldier’s salary and access to his own funds were blocked.
“Before they dismiss him, this guy’s account was frozen for one year, before he could collect his salary,” he said.
“You know, they still complain, but still, they still dismiss this guy… coming from inside the Nigerian Army.”
On the allegation of cultism, The Moon dismissed it as baseless considering the soldier spent years in the bush fighting terrorists.
“Many people… they still say, that because of cultism, they pursue this guy commot from inside the Nigerian Army,” he said.
He added: “When this guy dey the North East… when he dey inside the bush, when he dey fight Boko Haram… I beg, if it’s not courtesy, he gets the time when they practice cultism? If he does cultism himself, when he fights Boko Haram, then they do it inside the bush?”
He also accused the Army of labelling him “insubordinate” simply because battle-hardened soldiers often act instinctively in combat.
“They call the guy an insubordinate soldier… that kind of person wey don dare front line, he don see many of his friends, many of his bullies wey don go down… that person wey feel the enemy, even if Oga no give him hand, he go light.”
According to him, some senior officers resented that level of courage.
“He con make some of Oga then dey vex with that, so say this guy no dey listen to people, he want to show like say e dey overdo.”
He insisted that despite everything, the soldier remained loyal and never complained publicly.
“This guy has been dismissed from the Nigerian Army… but yet, now when they see him online, he no dey complain.”
The Moon said such treatment discourages patriotic soldiers and fuels rising desertion rates.
“These are some of the things wey they say dey discourage some people inside the Nigerian Army… wey then dey run away,” he warned.
He added that “If Nigerian Army go figure the statistic of soldiers wey don blow a wall, wey don drop out… even you, you go shock.”
