The Nigerian Army has kept a disturbing silence over the illegal detention and alleged torture of a young female soldier, Amina Sani Maidoki, who has been locked away for over six weeks on the orders of Salamatu Faruk Yahaya, wife of the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Faruk Yahaya (retd).
The 25-year-old soldier, who served as an aide-de-camp (ADC) to Mrs. Yahaya, was accused of stealing $50,000 from the ex-army chief’s residence in Abuja and has since been held incommunicado, without trial, access to legal representation, or any formal charge.
Despite growing outrage, the Nigerian Army has continued to look the other way.
When SaharaReporters contacted the army spokesperson, Lt Col Onyinyechi Anele, earlier this month, she claimed ignorance of the matter and promised to investigate.
Since then, she has neither responded to further inquiries nor issued any official comment.
Family members now say they are facing threats and harassment for demanding justice.
A family source added: “They stop everybody from visiting her. No trial even in the military way. The woman is just doing it unofficially.”
“She is still under illegal detention,” a relative told SaharaReporters.
“Her brother was there a few weeks ago because he was invited by them. They asked him to bring his bank statements and they saw nothing implicating there.”
“They invited him because they thought he helped Amina to steal the money, but they saw nothing to that effect.”
“But now, they’ve told us not to come again. The family has stopped visiting her entirely because of threats from the Nigerian Army,” the source added.
The situation has sparked fears of an orchestrated effort to scapegoat Amina for a crime no court has heard, no police authority has investigated, and for which no evidence has been made public.
A SaharaReporters’ investigation had previously exposed how the young sergeant was summarily arrested from her duty post on April 3, 2025, and taken straight into custody on the orders of Mrs. Yahaya.
Sources said she was first detained at the former army chief’s residence before being moved to the guardroom at General Yakubu Gowon Barracks, Abuja.
“She was taken from their house straight into detention and later moved to a military facility where they torture her every day to force a confession,” a family member said.
“They’ve seized her belongings and insisted she must repay the money before she’s released.”
SaharaReporters also learnt that Salamatu Yahaya had warned soldiers around her not to allow the issue to “get to social media.”
But as pressure mounts and hopes for justice dwindle, Amina’s relatives say they have been left with no choice but to speak out.
“Our daughter is being abused, her rights violated, and no one is saying anything,” a source close to the family said. “Even if they think she stole the money, why not charge her to court? Why torture her and hold her like a criminal without any proof?”
SaharaReporters saw that the army has neither issued a formal statement on the matter nor launched any transparent investigation.
Instead, it appears to be shielding the former first lady of the barracks, while a low-ranking female soldier bears the brunt of unlawful detention and cruel treatment.
Efforts by the family to seek legal redress have also hit a brick wall as they have been denied access to Amina and kept in the dark about her condition.