A group of retired Nigerian soldiers shut down operations at the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja on Monday, August 4, 2025, in protest over the non-payment of their entitlements. The ex-servicemen, who voluntarily disengaged from the Nigerian Army between the third and fourth quarters of 2023 and were formally retired in July 2024, gathered at the ministry’s premises as early as 7:00 a.m., blocking the entrance and disrupting all official activities. Dressed in military fatigues and chanting solidarity songs, the protesters carried placards bearing messages that expressed frustration over what they described as years of neglect by military authorities and the federal government.
The retired soldiers, who identified themselves as members of the “Voluntarily Discharged Soldiers of the First and Second Quarters of 2024,” said they were demanding the immediate payment of their statutory gratuities, Security Debarment Allowance (SDA), withheld salaries, parking allowances, and the federal government’s wage award, which they claimed had been selectively disbursed. According to them, the Military Pensions Board has continued to delay or deny these payments, hiding behind bureaucratic technicalities. One of the protesters, Sergeant Idris Usman (rtd), stated that despite following proper disengagement procedures, the government is now claiming they are ineligible for the new minimum wage adjustments and palliatives because they exited service on July 1, 2024.
The demonstration, which lasted into the afternoon, left staff and senior ministry officials stranded outside the premises. Attempts to mediate fell through after the intervention of a senior military officer, reportedly an Air Vice Marshal, failed to pacify the angry retirees. The veterans insisted they would not leave until their grievances were acknowledged and timelines for payment were provided. Later, the Permanent Secretary for Special Duties in the Ministry arrived and appealed to the protesters, promising that their concerns would be addressed in a meeting with the Military Pensions Board, but the soldiers remained adamant.
Speaking to reporters, another protester, Corporal Ekene Okwara (rtd), said the demonstration was not about seeking favors but about demanding justice. “We put in our time and served in dangerous zones for years, and now we are being told to be patient while we suffer. We’ve waited since our disengagement in 2024. How long do they want us to keep waiting?” he said. Other veterans decried what they called the government’s misplaced priorities, noting that soldiers who risked their lives for the country are being denied basic entitlements, while millions are awarded to athletes and celebrities.
Security operatives from the Nigerian Army, the police, and the Department of State Services were deployed to the scene to prevent any escalation. The protest remained peaceful, and no incidents of violence or confrontation were recorded. However, as of Monday afternoon, neither the Ministry of Finance nor the Military Pensions Board had issued an official statement addressing the protest or clarifying the status of the outstanding payments.
This protest is the latest in a series of demonstrations by retired military personnel in Nigeria, many of whom have repeatedly accused the federal government of ignoring their welfare. In March 2023, a similar protest erupted at the Defence Headquarters over unpaid medical benefits and calls for pension harmonisation.
