ABUJA — Minister of Defence Mohammed Badaru Abubakar has disclosed that the minimum monthly salary for Nigerian soldiers has been increased to N100,000 as part of the Federal Government’s efforts to improve the welfare of military personnel.
Speaking during an interview with News Central, the minister said the salary review was intended to boost morale among members of the Armed Forces, although he acknowledged that the country’s defence budget remains insufficient to address all the sector’s operational and welfare needs.
Asked whether the current allocation to the defence sector was adequate, Badaru responded that it was not.
According to him, the Federal Government has taken steps to improve the welfare of troops, including a significant increase in their monthly earnings.
“When they started, a soldier was collecting N49,000 monthly. We tried so hard, now he’s collecting N100,000,” the minister said.
Badaru also advocated tougher sanctions for kidnapping offences, expressing support for the death penalty as a deterrent to the growing wave of abductions across the country.
He argued that stronger punishments could discourage criminal activities, adding that the existing legal framework was not stringent enough to deter offenders.
Commenting on the recent kidnapping of schoolchildren in Oyo State, the minister alleged that the abductors were seeking to pressure security agencies into releasing some of their detained leaders.
According to him, the kidnappers believed that holding the children hostage could be used as leverage in negotiations with the authorities.
He further claimed that the abductors had threatened to kill the victims if security forces launched aggressive rescue operations.
Addressing reports alleging poor feeding of military personnel, Badaru dismissed the claims, insisting that the welfare of troops, including their feeding arrangements, had improved.
The minister referred to a viral video involving a military officer identified as Justice Crack, alleging that the officer intentionally removed food items from a meal before recording the footage to portray soldiers as being poorly fed.
He maintained that troops are provided with adequate meals, including meat, contrary to the impression created by the video circulating on social media.
The Federal Government has repeatedly stated that improving the welfare of military personnel remains a key component of its strategy to strengthen the Armed Forces in the ongoing fight against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and other security threats across the country.
