Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, says the Federal Government has increased the minimum monthly salary of Nigerian soldiers to N100,000, up from N49,000, as part of efforts to improve the welfare of military personnel.
Speaking during an interview with News Central ahead of the broadcast of its NC Exclusive programme, Musa said the salary review reflects the government’s commitment to supporting troops, although he acknowledged that the country’s defence budget remains inadequate.
“It’s not enough,” the minister said when asked if the current defence budget was sufficient.
He added, “When they started, a soldier was collecting N49,000 monthly. We tried so hard, now he’s collecting N100,000.”
The former Chief of Defence Staff also called for the death penalty for kidnappers, arguing that stronger punishments are needed to deter rising cases of abduction 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.
Speaking on the recent abduction of pupils in Oyo State, Musa alleged that the kidnappers were attempting to pressure the military into releasing some of their detained commanders.
According to him, the abductors warned they would kill the children if security forces moved closer during rescue operations.
The minister also rejected allegations that soldiers are poorly fed, insisting that viral claims misrepresented the situation. He alleged that a military officer identified as Justice Crack deliberately removed food items from a meal before recording a video to create a false impression of poor feeding.
