Following the replacement of Nigeria’s top military officers by President Bola Tinubu, the sacked Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, along with former Chiefs of Air and Naval Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar and Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, are set to receive generous retirement packages.
According to The Punch, the entitlements include a bulletproof SUV replaced every four years, a backup Peugeot 508, five domestic aides, personal security staff, three drivers, a nine-soldier guard unit, free medical care at home and abroad, and retention of personal firearms (retrieved after death). These benefits are applicable provided the retirees do not accept other public appointments, except those directly made by the President.
Presidential aide Sunday Dare explained that the replacement of the service chiefs is part of a broader effort to strengthen national security.
However, retired personnel have expressed outrage at the disparity in treatment. Former sergeant Abdul Isiak lamented that while senior officers enjoy extensive perks, junior officers are still struggling to receive their entitlements.
He stated, “All you said they would give to them would be done promptly, and they are more than what we need to sustain our lives. This is very unfair. We have suffered a lot for this country, and they are yet to give us our entitlements after leaving the service. What is our offence? Is it because we are junior officers?”
Isiak also revealed that retired soldiers are preparing another protest to demand the benefits owed to them, calling the situation “very unfortunate.”
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