Scores of retired Nigerian Army personnel who voluntarily disengaged from service staged a protest on Monday morning, barricading the main entrance to the Ministry of Finance headquarters in Abuja over unpaid entitlements.
The protest, which began around 10:15am, attracted heavy security presence, including operatives from the military, police, and the Department of State Services (DSS), to prevent any possible unrest.
This marks the fourth protest by retired security personnel in the past seven months, underscoring growing frustration over delayed or denied post-service benefits. Just weeks ago, retired police officers had stormed the Force Headquarters, denouncing the Contributory Pension Scheme as exploitative and calling for its abolition.
Addressing journalists at the protest site, one of the leaders of the aggrieved ex-servicemen, Staff Sergeant Simon Ipwu, outlined their major grievances: non-payment of their Security Debarment Allowance, short payment of gratuity, withheld four months' salaries, and unpaid insurance benefits.
“We’re here because of the money we’re supposed to be paid,” Ipwu said. “We wrote for voluntary disengagement because of the army’s attitude towards our work. There is a lot of mischief. From the moment we left, they withheld four months’ salary. Our gratuity was slashed. We’ve written several letters to all the relevant authorities, but nothing has been done.”
According to Ipwu, the ex-soldiers had given the authorities a two-week ultimatum prior to the protest but received no response.
The retired officer vowed that they would continue occupying the ministry premises until their demands are addressed.
Attempts to get a response from the Nigerian Army were unsuccessful, as multiple calls and messages to Army spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Appolonia Anele, went unanswered as of press time.
The protest highlights growing dissatisfaction among retired security operatives over pension-related issues and a perceived lack of institutional support after service.
