The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has disclosed that Nigerian soldiers now earn a minimum monthly salary of N100,000 after a recent review of their welfare by the Federal Government.
Musa made the disclosure during an interview with News Central on Wednesday ahead of its broadcast on the station’s NC Exclusive programme on Friday.
Speaking on the funding of the Armed Forces, the minister admitted that the current defence budget remains inadequate despite efforts to improve the welfare of military personnel.
Responding to a question on whether the defence budget was sufficient, he said, “It’s not enough.”
He, however, noted that the Federal Government had significantly increased the salaries of soldiers.
“When they started, a soldier was collecting N49,000 monthly. 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 stiffer punishment would serve as a deterrent and help tackle 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.
Commenting on the recent abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo State, Musa described the incident as unfortunate, alleging that the kidnappers were attempting to pressure the government into releasing some of their detained commanders.
“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,” he said.
According to the minister, the abductors had also threatened to kill the children if security forces intensified rescue efforts.
“They are now threatening that if we come any closer, they’re going to kill all the kids,” he added.
Musa also dismissed allegations that soldiers were poorly fed, insisting that reports circulating in the public space did not reflect the reality.
He cited an incident involving a military officer identified as Justice Crack, alleging that the officer deliberately removed food items from a meal to create the impression that soldiers were not being properly catered for.
“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,” the minister said.
