Heavy security as military retirees protest pension adjustment

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Heavy security deployment was witnessed around the Ministry of Defence in Abuja on Wednesday ahead of a planned protest by military retirees over the non-implementation of consequential adjustments to their pensions.

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Our correspondent, who arrived at the venue at about 8am, observed the presence of personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Immigration Service and Vehicle Inspection Officers.

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Armed soldiers were also seen moving around the venue as security operatives took strategic positions along roads leading to the ministry.

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The correspondent counted two armoured personnel carriers and more than 15 vehicles belonging to the police, Army, Immigration Service and VIO stationed at both ends of the roads around the protest venue.

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However, the planned protest had yet to commence as of the time of filing this report.

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The retirees are protesting the alleged failure of the authorities to implement consequential adjustments to their pensions following salary increases approved for serving military personnel.

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One of the leaders of the retirees, Col. Innocent Azubike (retd.), had said the protest was aimed at demanding what he described as the constitutional pension rights of military retirees.

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Azubike said President Bola Tinubu approved a salary increase for military personnel in November 2025, which, according to him, should have resulted in a corresponding adjustment of pensions for retired personnel.

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He, however, alleged that the adjustment had yet to be implemented despite repeated acknowledgements by military authorities of the President’s approval.

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He said, “We have a protest on Wednesday at the Ministry of Defence to demand our constitutional pension rights.

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“In November last year, the President approved a new pay increase for the military, and it came with a consequential adjustment for retirees and pensioners. It was in the news throughout that November, and the high military authorities repeatedly thanked the President for the gesture.

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“But suddenly, in July and August, it was not implemented and they started changing their stories, as if it should be forgotten.”

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Azubike also expressed concern over another salary increase announced for military personnel in August 2026, which is expected to take effect in September.

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He alleged that while funds had been computed for the implementation of the latest salary increase, pensioners were excluded from the consequential adjustment.

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He said the exclusion was the main reason for the planned protest, stressing that the retirees were not opposed to the salary increase for serving personnel but wanted pensioners to benefit from the corresponding adjustment.

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He said, “Another military salary increase was announced this August, totally ignoring that of last year. The new announcement is supposed to start implementation in September.

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“They have computed the fund requirement for implementing this second announcement of pay increase. In their computation, they excluded pensioners and the consequential adjustment of pensioners’ pensions. That is the main issue we are protesting.”

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The retired officer warned that the alleged exclusion could create disparities between military personnel of the same rank and with similar years of service who retired at different times.

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According to him, newly retired personnel could receive substantially higher pensions because they would retire under the new salary structure, while those who retired earlier would continue to receive lower pensions.

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He said, “The implication is that when they raise the salary of serving personnel, those who will be retiring from the new salary scale, their pension will be far higher than their contemporaries of the same rank and equal number of years of service who had earlier retired.”

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See pictures from the protest ground below:

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