Heavy Security At Defence HQ As Retired Military Officers Protest Pension Adjustment

Scores of security personnel from the Nigerian military, police, Nigeria Immigration Service, Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) and other agencies are on alert at the headquarters of the Ministry of Defence in Abuja.

The heavy deployment was made ahead of a planned protest by retired military officers over the non-implementation of consequential adjustments to their pensions.

President Bola Tinubu recently approved a new salary scale for serving military officers to bolster performance across all theatres of operations in the country.

The retired officers said the increment should have included them, having served the country for 35 years or more. The new pay structure cuts across all ranks in the military.

When our correspondent visited the Ministry of Defence Headquarters on Wednesday morning, at least three Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) belonging to the military were stationed at the facility.

_Daily Trust_ also counted more than 18 vehicles belonging to the police, army, immigration, VIO, NSCDC, FRSC and other security agencies stationed at both ends of the roads and other strategic locations around the protest ground.

Armed soldiers were seen patrolling the venue as operatives took strategic positions along roads leading to the ministry — a development that has caused gridlock in the area.

Although the protest had not begun as of 9:10am, the retired officers insisted it would go ahead as planned, saying “no going back”.

A retired Master Warrant Officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told our correspondent that the Minister was supposed to have met with them to resolve the issue, but was allegedly prevented by aides.

“Gen. Christopher Musa is a kind man. He is always willing to see to the welfare of both the serving and retired personnel but those around him don’t want him to succeed.

“This protest will go as planned to draw the attention of the world that we also deserve to be treated with fairness, not with impunity. We also deserve what was given to the serving personnel,” he said.

The retirees are protesting the alleged failure of authorities to implement consequential adjustments to their pensions following salary increases approved for serving military personnel.

One of the leaders of the retirees, *retired Colonel Innocent Azubike*, said the protest was to demand what he described as the constitutional pension rights of military retirees.

Azubike said President Tinubu approved a salary increase for military personnel in *November 2025*, which should have triggered a corresponding adjustment for retirees and pensioners.

“It was in the news throughout that November, and the high military authorities repeatedly thanked the President for the gesture.

“But suddenly, in July and August, it was not implemented and they started changing their stories, as if it should be forgotten,” he said.