Tension gripped the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja on Monday morning as dozens of furious retired soldiers stormed the complex, barricading the main entrance in protest over the non-payment of their entitlements. The ex-servicemen, who retired from the Nigerian Army in the first and second quarters of 2024, paralyzed activities at the ministry, demanding immediate payment of their gratuities, Security Debarment Allowance (SDA), parking allowance, and salary shortfalls.
The protest began at dawn, around 7 a.m., with retirees, both male and female, blocking access to the building, leaving ministry workers stranded outside. The aggrieved veterans carried placards bearing messages of frustration and defiance, with slogans like: “We are 1st and 2nd Quarter Retirees of NA 2003. We are living heroes and deserve to be recognized and treated right, not celebrated as fallen heroes when we are no more,” and “We the voluntary discharged soldiers of 2024 demand full payment of our benefits.”
Despite interventions from the Chairman of the Military Pensions Board (MPB), Air Vice Marshal Adamu, who arrived to calm tensions, the protesters remained unmoved. They insisted that only concrete action—not mere assurances—would compel them to end the demonstration. The retirees demanded proof that funds had been released and that payment alerts would begin to roll in.
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The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and other senior officials later arrived at the scene. After brief appeals for calm, they invited a select group of protest representatives, along with the MPB Chairman, into a closed-door meeting to address the grievances. As of the time of filing this report, the meeting was still ongoing, with no official resolution announced.
One of the retirees, revealed that one of their most pressing concerns was the Military Pensions Board’s claim that they were not entitled to benefit from the new national minimum wage, having been disengaged from active service on July 1, 2024. He described the stance as unjust and demoralizing for soldiers who had sacrificed for the country.
Another protester vowed that they would not leave the premises until the MPB Chairman personally addressed the entire group and confirmed that payment processes had begun. “We are not beggars,” he said. “We are trained professionals who gave our lives to protect this country. All we ask is to be paid what we have earned.”
The protest has reignited public discourse about the treatment of retired military personnel in Nigeria, raising urgent questions about accountability, transparency, and the government’s commitment to those who served the nation. As images and videos of the demonstration circulate widely online, pressure continues to mount on authorities to act swiftly and avoid further embarrassment.
