Heavy security as military retirees protest pension adjustment

Heavy security surrounded the Ministry of Defence in Abuja as military retirees gathered to protest the alleged non-implementation of consequential adjustments to their pensions. The retirees are demanding what they describe as their constitutional pension rights, which they believe have been overlooked following recent salary increases for active military personnel.

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We have a protest on Wednesday at the Ministry of Defence to demand our constitutional pension rights.

According to one of the protest leaders, Col. Innocent Azubike (retd.), President Bola Tinubu approved a salary increase for military personnel in November 2025. This approval, he stated, should have automatically triggered a corresponding adjustment in pensions for retired personnel. However, Azubike alleged that despite repeated acknowledgments of the President's approval by military authorities, the pension adjustment has not been implemented.

Azubike expressed further concern over another salary increase announced for military personnel in August 2026, set to take effect in September. He claimed that while funds for this latest increase have been allocated, pensioners have been excluded from the consequential adjustment. This exclusion, he emphasized, is the primary reason for the planned protest, as the retirees are not opposing salary hikes for serving personnel but are seeking their rightful share of the adjusted benefits.

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In November last year, the President approved a new pay increase for the military, and it came with a consequential adjustment for retirees and pensioners. It was in the news throughout that November, and the high military authorities repeatedly thanked the President for the gesture.

The retirees' protest highlights a growing tension between the needs of active military members and those of veterans. The deployment of significant security forces, including police, army, immigration, and vehicle inspection officers, along with armored personnel carriers, underscores the government's anticipation of a potentially large and disruptive demonstration.

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But suddenly, in July and August, it was not implemented and they started changing their stories, as if it should be forgotten.

The protest had not commenced at the time of filing the report, but the retirees' determination to voice their grievances was evident. Their action points to a broader issue of ensuring that financial benefits for military personnel are consistently and fairly applied across both active and retired ranks, reflecting the commitment and service of all who have served the nation.

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Another military salary increase was announced this August, to