The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has said the Federal Government has increased the monthly salary of Nigerian soldiers from ₦49,000 to ₦100,000 as part of efforts to improve the welfare of military personnel.
Musa disclosed this during an interview with News Central on Wednesday ahead of the Friday broadcast of the NC Exclusive programme.
According to him, the salary review reflects the government’s commitment to improving the welfare of members of the Armed Forces.
“When they started, a soldier was collecting ₦49,000 monthly. We tried so hard, now he’s collecting ₦100,000,” the minister said.
Despite the increase, Musa admitted that the military remains underfunded, saying the current defence budget is not sufficient to meet Nigeria’s security needs.
Asked whether the defence allocation was adequate, the minister replied, “It’s not enough.”
Musa also called for tougher punishment for kidnappers, backing the introduction of the death penalty as a deterrent against the 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.
The minister also dismissed claims that soldiers are poorly fed, insisting that recent allegations circulating online misrepresented the quality of meals provided to troops.
He referred to a viral incident involving a military officer identified as Justice Crack, alleging that the officer deliberately removed portions of the food before recording a video to create a false impression.
“The soldier’s food was okay. There was meat and other items, but he told them to remove those things and make it look as if they were not there,” Musa said.
The minister maintained that while government has taken steps to improve troop welfare, more funding is still required to strengthen the military and address the country’s security challenges.