Soldiers Now Earn Minimum of ₦100,000 Monthly, Says Defence Minister
The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, says Nigerian soldiers now earn a minimum monthly salary of ₦100,000, following a welfare review approved by the Federal Government.
Musa made the disclosure during an interview with News Central, ahead of the broadcast of the NC Exclusive programme scheduled for Friday.
The minister, who previously served as Chief of Defence Staff, said the salary adjustment reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to improving the welfare of military personnel, although he admitted that the defence sector remains underfunded.
Responding to a question on whether the current defence budget was sufficient, Musa replied, “It’s not enough.”
He, however, noted that significant progress had been made in improving soldiers’ remuneration.
“When they started, a soldier was collecting ₦49,000 monthly. We tried so hard, now he’s collecting ₦100,000,” he said.
The Defence Minister also advocated the introduction of the death penalty for kidnappers, arguing that tougher punishments are necessary to deter the growing wave of abductions across the country.
“I think we should do that. There must be deterrence. The laws are soft, and that’s why people take advantage. If they know once you commit an offence, there must be punishment,” Musa said.
Speaking on the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State, the minister described the incident as unfortunate, alleging that the kidnappers were using the victims as bargaining chips to secure the release of some of their commanders currently in military custody.
“It’s a very sad event. Unfortunately, bad things do happen. For whatever reason, they are looking for leverage because we have some of their commanders with us, and they feel taking these children and holding them to ransom will make us release their commander,” he said.
According to Musa, the abductors also threatened to kill the children if security forces moved closer to their hideout during rescue operations.
“They are now threatening that if we come any closer, they’re going to kill all the kids,” he added.
The minister also dismissed allegations that soldiers are poorly fed, insisting that claims circulating on social media misrepresented the situation in military formations.
Referring to an incident involving a military officer identified as Justice Crack, Musa alleged that the officer deliberately removed meat and other food items from a meal before recording a video to create the impression that soldiers were being served inadequate rations.
“The soldier’s food was okay. There was meat and other items, but he told them to remove those things and make it appear as though they were not there,” the minister said.
Musa reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to improving the welfare, motivation and operational capacity of members of the Armed Forces, while acknowledging that more investment is still needed to adequately fund the nation’s defence sector.