Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), has announced that the Federal Government has increased the minimum monthly salary of Nigerian soldiers from N49,000 to N100,000, a near doubling of the previous wage aimed at improving the welfare of military personnel. Musa made the disclosure during an interview with News Central on Wednesday, 9 July 2026, ahead of the broadcast of its NC Exclusive programme.
The minister acknowledged that the salary review reflects the government's commitment to supporting members of the Armed Forces. "When they started, a soldier was collecting N49,000 monthly. We tried so hard, now he's collecting N100,000," Musa said.
Despite the increase, the minister maintained that the military remains underfunded, admitting that the current defence budget is insufficient to meet the country's security needs. Responding to a question on whether the defence allocation was adequate, he replied simply: "It's not enough".
Musa also dismissed allegations that soldiers are poorly fed, insisting that recent claims circulating online misrepresented the quality of meals provided to troops. He referred to a viral incident involving a military officer identified as Justice Crack, who was arrested in March after posting videos alleging poor feeding and welfare conditions within the Nigerian Army. According to the minister, the influencer deliberately distorted the situation by asking soldiers to remove portions of their meals before recording the videos. "The soldiers' food was okay. There was meat and other items, but he told them to pull them out and make it look as if those things were not there," Musa alleged.
The army said its investigation found that the influencer had engaged soldiers in discussions that appeared aimed at inciting discontent and subversion, contrary to the armed forces' social media policy. While the soldiers remained in military custody, Justice Crack was handed over to civil authorities for further investigation and possible prosecution. In May, the Federal High Court in Abuja granted him bail in the sum of N5 million, while his trial continues.
Commenting on the recent abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo State, the minister alleged that the kidnappers were seeking to pressure the military into releasing some of their detained leaders. "You know, it's a very sad event. Unfortunately, bad things do happen. 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," Musa said. He added that the abductors had threatened to kill the children if security forces intensified rescue operations.
Musa also called for the introduction of the death penalty for convicted kidnappers, arguing that tougher punishments were needed to deter the growing wave of abductions across the country. "I think we should do that. 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 said.
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