Defence Minister Christopher Musa has announced that Nigerian soldiers now receive a minimum monthly salary of N100,000, following a recent welfare review by the Federal Government.
Musa made this revelation during an interview with News Central on Wednesday, ahead of his appearance on the NC Exclusive programme scheduled for Friday.
Despite the improved salaries, the former Chief of Defence Staff emphasized that the military remains underfunded. When asked if the current defence budget was sufficient, Musa responded, It’s not enough.
He explained that soldiers previously earned N49,000 per month, but that amount has now more than doubled. “We tried so hard, now he’s collecting N100,000,” Musa said.
The minister also called for the introduction of the death penalty for kidnappers, arguing that harsher punishments are necessary to deter the rising wave of abductions nationwide. “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,” he stated.
Addressing the recent abduction of pupils in Oyo State, Musa described the event as tragic, alleging that the kidnappers were seeking leverage to secure the release of their detained commanders. “For whatever reason, they are looking for leverage because we have some of their commanders with us, and they feel taking these kids and holding them to ransom will make us release their commander,” he explained.
He added that the abductors had threatened to kill the children if security forces intensified rescue operations: “They are now threatening that if we come any closer, they’re going to kill all the kids.”
Musa also refuted reports of poor feeding conditions in the military, calling such claims misleading. Citing an incident involving a military officer known as Justice Crack, the minister said the officer deliberately misrepresented the quality of meals served to soldiers. “The soldier’s food was okay. There was meat; there was all this. But he told them to pull out those things and make it look as if those things were not there,” Musa said.
