A fresh welfare battle has erupted within Nigeria’s military community as retired soldiers took their grievances to the streets of Abuja, accusing authorities of “forgetting” them after approving salary increases for serving personnel.
The military pensioners, who gathered around the Ministry of Defence on Wednesday, demanded the immediate implementation of consequential adjustments to their pensions, insisting that they are legally entitled to benefit from every military salary review.
The protest triggered a heavy security presence around the ministry, with personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Immigration Service and Vehicle Inspection Officers deployed to strategic locations.
Armed soldiers were seen patrolling the area, while armoured personnel carriers and several security vehicles were stationed around roads leading to the protest venue.
The tense atmosphere followed allegations by the retirees that they had been left behind despite a salary increase approved for serving military personnel by President Bola Tinubu in November 2025.
The pensioners claimed the approval was meant to come with corresponding adjustments to the pensions of retired officers and soldiers but alleged that the benefit had not been implemented months later.
Leading the protest campaign, retired Army officer Col. Innocent Azubike accused the authorities of changing their position after initially acknowledging the presidential approval.
According to him, the retirees were not against better pay for serving military personnel but were demanding that those who served the country should also benefit from salary reviews.
He said the failure to adjust pensions had created an unfair gap between serving and retired personnel of the same rank and years of service.
The retired officer expressed further anger over another salary increase announced for military personnel in August 2026, which is expected to take effect in September, claiming pensioners were again excluded from the financial calculations.
The retirees warned that the situation could produce a disturbing scenario where two military personnel with similar ranks and years of service would receive different pension benefits simply because they retired at different periods.
They argued that a soldier who retires after a new salary structure takes effect could receive a far higher pension than a colleague who retired earlier despite having the same career record.
The pensioners said they had fought similar battles in the past, recalling that previous protests eventually led to the harmonisation of pensions for military retirees of equal ranks and years of service in 2017.
They accused some officials within the military establishment of attempting to return retirees to the era of pension inequality.
In a statement signed by I.A. Nass, the retirees insisted that pension adjustments following salary increases were not a favour from government but a constitutional and legal right.
They cited provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, the Armed Forces Act and the Military Manual of Financial Administration as justification for their demand.
The group also rejected any suggestion that their action was targeted at serving soldiers, stressing that they supported improved welfare for active members of the armed forces.
Their complaint, they said, was that retired personnel who spent decades defending the country should not be excluded from benefits arising from military reforms.
Ahead of the protest, the retirees circulated messages calling for unity among veterans, urging military pensioners in Abuja and neighbouring states to join the demonstration.
They also alleged attempts by unnamed individuals to disrupt their mobilisation, claiming some opponents were working against the protest.
The pensioners vowed that the demonstration would remain peaceful, while calling on the Federal Government to urgently address the pension dispute.
As security operatives kept a close watch around the Defence Ministry, the retirees maintained that their fight was not against the military hierarchy but a demand for fairness and recognition after years of service to Nigeria.
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