By Tunji Braimoh, Abuja

Military pensioners on Wednesday staged a protest in Abuja, demanding the immediate implementation of consequential adjustments to their pensions following salary increases approved for serving military and paramilitary personnel.

The protesters, under the aegis of the Veterans Association of Nigeria, gathered near the Ministry of Defence with placards calling on the Federal Government to urgently review their pensions to reflect recent increases in the salaries of serving personnel.

They also protested what they described as the exclusion of retired military personnel from the latest salary increase approved by President Bola Tinubu, which they said is expected to take effect from September 2026.

The demonstration took place amid a heavy security presence, with soldiers, police officers and personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) deployed around the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces Complex.

Armoured personnel carriers were also stationed around Ship House, the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces Complex as security operatives moved to restrict access to the area.

The security deployment prevented the pensioners from reaching the ministry, with soldiers cordoning off the area and stopping the retirees from assembling in front of the facility.

The situation reportedly resulted in a confrontation between some serving soldiers and the retired personnel as the protesters attempted to advance towards the ministry.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, retired Lieutenant Colonel Innocent Anas said the demonstration was aimed at pressing the government to implement outstanding consequential adjustments to military pensions.

Anas said President Tinubu approved salary increases for military and paramilitary personnel in November 2025, but the corresponding adjustments had yet to be reflected in the pensions of retired personnel.

“Since last year, November last year, Mr President approved the new salary increase for the military and the paramilitary; it’s been in the news all over,” he said.

He expressed concern that several months after the approval, the adjustment had yet to be implemented, despite fresh salary-related pronouncements by the government.

According to Anas, the failure to adjust pension payments whenever the salaries of serving personnel are increased creates disparities between retirees who served in the same military.

He argued that if the latest salary structure, reportedly placing the minimum wage of serving personnel at about ₦180,000 from September 2026, is implemented, corresponding adjustments should also be made to military pensions.

“The issue is the recent increase in pay. If they want to implement this new one that places the minimum wage at about ₦180,000, there should be consequential adjustment in the pay of pensioners,” he said.

Anas maintained that the adjustment should not be treated as a favour to retirees but as an entitlement backed by the Constitution, the Armed Forces Act and relevant military financial regulations.

“We have paid our dues in patriotic service to this nation. There is a constitutional provision that when you increase the pay of any personnel, there should be a consequential allowance and a consequential adjustment for pensioners,” he said.

He warned that continued failure to harmonise pensions with salary increases could create a situation where junior officers who retired more recently receive higher pensions than senior officers who retired earlier.

Using the example of a retired captain, Anas said a senior officer could eventually receive a pension comparable to or lower than that of a lower-ranking officer who retired more recently because the latter’s pension was calculated using a higher salary structure.

“We all served the same military. It is propriety that whenever there is an increase in salary, it carries consequential adjustment for the retirees,” he said.

The pensioners also recalled previous disparities in military pensions, noting that similar concerns had led to protests and eventually contributed to a presidential approval in November 2017 for the harmonisation of pensions for retirees of equal ranks and years of service.

They expressed concern that the failure to implement further consequential adjustments could undermine the gains achieved through the earlier harmonisation.

The protesters accused the authorities of failing to adequately include pensioners in the financial calculations for implementing the latest salary increase.

They therefore urged the Federal Government to urgently address the issue and ensure that consequential adjustments are reflected in their pensions.

The pensioners stressed that their demonstration was peaceful and was not intended to obstruct access to government offices or public roads.

They reiterated their demand for what they described as their constitutional and legal right to consequential adjustments in their pensions to align with recent salary increases approved for serving military personnel.