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The Federal Government has increased the minimum monthly salary of Nigerian soldiers from ₦49,000 to ₦100,000 as part of efforts to improve the welfare of military personnel, Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd), has disclosed.
The minister made the revelation during an interview with News Central ahead of the broadcast of its NC Exclusive programme on Friday, while also dismissing allegations that soldiers are poorly fed.
Responding to questions on the adequacy of Nigeria’s defence budget, the minister admitted that funding remains insufficient despite recent welfare improvements.
“It’s not enough,” he said.
Highlighting measures taken to improve conditions for rank-and-file personnel, the minister said the Tinubu administration had prioritised soldiers’ welfare.
“When they started, a soldier was collecting ₦49,000 monthly. We tried so hard; now he’s collecting ₦100,000,” he said.
The minister also defended the Nigerian Army’s handling of the case involving social media influencer Justice Mark Chidiebere, popularly known as Justice Crack, who was arrested after circulating videos alleging poor feeding and welfare conditions among troops.
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According to him, the viral videos were deliberately manipulated to misrepresent the quality of meals served to soldiers.
“The soldiers’ food was okay. There was meat and other things, but he told them to pull them out and make it look like those things were not there,” the minister alleged.
Justice Crack was arrested in March alongside several soldiers after posting videos that questioned the welfare of military personnel.
The Nigerian Army subsequently accused him of encouraging troops to portray their welfare conditions inaccurately and attempting to incite disaffection within the ranks, contrary to military regulations governing social media use.
While the soldiers involved remained in military custody, Justice Crack was handed over to civil authorities for investigation and prosecution.
In May, the Federal High Court in Abuja granted him ₦5 million bail with one surety, and his trial is still ongoing.
The minister maintained that although the Armed Forces require increased funding to effectively tackle the country’s security challenges, the Federal Government has continued to improve the welfare and remuneration of military personnel as part of broader efforts to strengthen morale and operational effectiveness.
