Dozens of retired Nigerian soldiers staged a protest on Monday, August 4, 2025, by barricading the main entrance of the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja. The protest, which began at 7 a.m., disrupted operations and left ministry staff stranded for hours. The ex-servicemen, including both men and women, demanded the immediate payment of their long-overdue benefits, including gratuities, Security Debarment Allowance (SDA), parking allowances, and salary shortfalls.
The aggrieved retirees carried placards expressing their frustration, stating they were being neglected by the government despite serving the nation. Among their key messages were calls for recognition as “living heroes” and demands for full compensation, especially by those voluntarily discharged in 2024. They also highlighted four months of salary deductions and unresolved shortfalls in their benefits.
Efforts by the Chairman of the Military Pensions Board (MPB), Air Vice Marshal Adamu, to calm the protesters were initially unsuccessful. The retirees insisted on concrete action rather than verbal assurances. Subsequently, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and other senior officials arrived at the scene and invited representatives of the protesters for a closed-door meeting with the MPB Chairman to address their grievances.
As of the time of reporting, the meeting was still ongoing. Meanwhile, the protesters emphasized that they would not vacate the ministry’s premises until they received proof that their funds had been released. One retiree, Corporal Umar Faruq (rtd.), revealed that the MPB claimed they were ineligible for the new minimum wage since their disengagement occurred in July 2024, a point of serious contention among the group.
