The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has announced that Nigerian soldiers now earn a minimum monthly salary of ₦100,000 following a recent welfare review by the Federal Government.
Musa, a former Chief of Defence Staff, disclosed this during an interview on News Central on Wednesday. He noted that soldiers previously earned ₦49,000 monthly before the increment.
While acknowledging the improvement in personnel welfare, the minister admitted that the military remains underfunded overall. When asked about the adequacy of the current defence budget, he replied simply, “It’s not enough.”
In the same interview, Musa advocated for the introduction of the death penalty for kidnappers, arguing that stiffer punishments are needed to deter the rising wave of abductions across the country. He said current laws are too lenient, encouraging criminals to take advantage.
Commenting on the recent abduction of pupils in Oyo State, the minister described the incident as unfortunate. He alleged that the kidnappers were using the children as leverage to force the release of some of their detained commanders and had threatened to kill them if security forces intensified rescue efforts.
Musa also dismissed circulating allegations of poor feeding in the military, describing some claims as misleading. He cited an incident involving a soldier identified as Justice Crack, alleging the officer deliberately misrepresented the quality of meals served to troops.
