Again, Ex-soldiers invade Abuja over unpaid benefits

There was a little unease, Thursday morning, around the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja as some discharged Nigerian soldiers on marched on the place to resume their protest over non-payment of their entitlements.

The veterans had suspended their protest on August 4, 2025, after  officials of the Ministries of Defence and Finance had assured them that their outstanding entitlements would be paid by August 10.

The protesting ex-servicemen, who carried placards mirroring their frustration, accused the authorities of neglect and not fulfilling the promises made during the peace parley early August.

The group comprised ex-servicemen who voluntarily disengaged from service in late 2023 and officially retired on July 1, 2024.

One of the protesters who spoke to the Punch newspaper, identified as Mama G, said they returned to the streets following the failed assurances.

“We are here because the promises made to us were never fulfilled,” Mama G said. “We had no choice but to return to the streets. This time around, the protest will be massive.”

This is not the first time the veterans would be protesting in Abuja. Over the years, they had repeatedly thronged the streets of Abuja and other cities protesting their appalling situation.

The Ministry of Defence, Defence Headquarters and Military Pension Board had yet to respond as at the time of filing this report.