Retired military personnel protest unpaid entitlements in Abuja

Retired military personnel barricaded the entrance to the Ministry of Finance in Abuja on Tuesday, demanding the full payment of their long-overdue entitlements.

The retirees set up canopies and positioned chairs to block the ministry’s entrance.

This protest comes after a similar one in December 2024, when the retirees shut down the ministry to protest the government’s nonpayment of their claims.

Despite official approval for payment, the retirees were reportedly told that no funds were available to pay them.

The retirees are demanding the payment of other unpaid benefits in addition to the 20% to 28% pay increase due for January to November 2024.

These include palliatives between October 2023 and November 2024, an additional N32,000 to their pensions, a bulk payment of the Security Debarment Allowance, and a refund of pension deductions from the salaries of medically boarded soldiers.