THE Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, says Nigerian soldiers now receive a minimum monthly salary of ₦100,000 following a recent review of their welfare by the Federal Government.
Musa disclosed this during an interview yesterday.
The former Chief of Defence Staff acknowledged that despite improvements in personnel welfare, the military remains inadequately funded.
When asked whether the current defence budget was sufficient, he responded, “It’s not enough.”
He explained that the Federal Government had significantly increased soldiers’ salaries over the years.
“When they started, a soldier was collecting ₦49,000 monthly. We tried so hard, now he’s collecting ₦100,000,” Musa said.
The minister also called for the introduction of the death penalty for convicted kidnappers, arguing that tougher punishments are necessary to discourage the growing wave of abductions 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 stated.
Speaking on the recent abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo State, Musa described the incident as unfortunate and alleged that the kidnappers were attempting to pressure the military into releasing some of their detained commanders.
“It’s a very sad event. Unfortunately, bad things do happen. For whatever reason, they are looking for leverage because we have some of their commanders with us, and they feel taking these kids and holding them to ransom will make us release their commander,” he said.
According to the minister, the abductors also threatened to kill the children if security forces intensified rescue operations.
“They are now threatening that if we come any closer, they’re going to kill all the kids,” he added.
Musa also rejected claims that soldiers are poorly fed, insisting that reports circulating in the public were misleading.
Referring to an incident involving a military officer identified as Justice Crack, he alleged that the officer intentionally created a false impression about the quality of meals served to personnel.
“The soldier’s food was okay. There was meat; there was all this. But he told them to pull out those things and make it look as if those things were not there,” the minister said.
