Some retired soldiers have criticised the Federal Government over what they called the excessive retirement benefits approved for recently sacked service chiefs.
The benefits, based on the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service for Officers and Enlisted Personnel in the Nigerian Armed Forces, include bulletproof SUVs, domestic aides, security guards, and lifetime medical care at home and abroad.
The document, signed by President Bola Tinubu in December 2024, also grants each retired service chief a Peugeot 508 backup vehicle, five domestic aides, a personal assistant, an aide-de-camp, three service drivers, and nine soldiers as standard guards. They will also retain personal firearms until death and get free medical treatment both locally and internationally.
The exit of the former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar; and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, followed Tinubu’s appointment of new service chiefs on Friday.
General Olufemi Oluyede is now the Chief of Defence Staff, Major-General W. Shaibu becomes the Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke takes over as Chief of Air Staff, while Rear Admiral I. Abbas becomes the Chief of Naval Staff.
The President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, said the changes were part of efforts to strengthen national security.
However, many retired soldiers expressed anger, saying the new retirement packages were unfair compared to their poor welfare and unpaid entitlements.
Sgt. Zaki Williams, who leads a group of over 700 discharged soldiers seeking unpaid benefits, said junior officers had been neglected.
“I don’t really understand how our people in Nigeria do things. The people at the top always favour themselves. They don’t care about the poor or the junior ones who sacrificed everything,” he said.
Williams said several promises made to them had not been fulfilled.
“Since the day they made those promises to us, we went back home and didn’t hear anything again. We’ve been waiting till now, but nothing has happened,” he said.
He added that life after service had become unbearable for many.
“How can someone retire after years of service and still not get their entitlement? Many of us can’t even build a house. The senior officers have houses, cars, and everything good, but the rest of us have nothing,” he said.
Another retired soldier, Abdul Isiak, described the situation as unfair.
“All you said they would give to them will be done quickly, and they are more than what we need to survive. We have suffered, and they’ve not paid us our entitlements. What is our offence? Is it because we are junior officers?” he asked.
He also hinted that some of them were preparing for another protest.
“This is very bad,” he said. “We are planning to protest again for them to pay us.”
Meanwhile, military sources said a fresh round of retirements might soon affect over 50 top officers following the appointment of the new service chiefs.
A senior officer explained that, according to military tradition, senior officers who are higher in rank or course to the newly appointed chiefs must retire.
“It is a tradition in the military that when a junior is appointed as a service chief, those senior to him must proceed on retirement. More than 50 across the three services will go,” the source said.
Another source estimated that about 100 officers might leave the service, saying only those from Course 41 of the Nigerian Defence Academy would remain.
In a related development, political figures have reacted to the retention of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, who was not affected by Friday’s shake-up.
Former military governor and PDP chieftain, Chief Bode George, said only the creation of state police could effectively tackle insecurity.
“The lack of a solution to insurgency is because we have refused to establish state police. Policing is local. The boys recruited from their areas know the language, culture, and people,” he said.
While the NNPP’s National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, questioned the decision to retain Egbetokun, the All Progressives Grand Alliance and the Young Progressives Party defended the President’s decision.
APGA spokesman Ejimofor Opara said, “The Commander-in-Chief has access to information that is not at our disposal. I am sure he did it in the best interest of the nation.”
YPP’s Wale Martins, however, urged broader reforms, saying, “Retaining him raises legitimate concerns about the need for fresh perspectives and renewed energy.”
