The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, says the Federal Government has increased the minimum monthly salary of Nigerian soldiers from ₦49,000 to ₦100,000 as part of efforts to improve their welfare.
Musa made the disclosure during an interview on NC Exclusive, a programme aired by News Central on Friday, July 9.
Despite the salary increase, the minister acknowledged that funding for the military remains inadequate.
Responding to a question on whether the current defence budget was sufficient, Musa said, “It’s not enough.”
He, however, maintained that the government had made significant progress in improving the welfare of military personnel.
“When they started, a soldier was collecting N49,000 monthly. We tried so hard, now he’s collecting N100,000,” Musa said.
The minister also called for tougher penalties against kidnappers, including the death sentence, arguing that stronger punishment would discourage the rising wave of abductions across the country.
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“I think we should do that. There must be deterrence. The laws are soft, and that’s why people take advantage. If they know once you commit an offence, there must be punishment,” Musa said.
Speaking on the recent abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo State, the defence minister alleged that the kidnappers were attempting to pressure the military into releasing some of their detained commanders.
“You know, it’s a very sad event. Unfortunately, bad things do happen. For whatever reason, they are looking for leverage because we have some of their commanders with us, and they feel taking these kids and holding them to ransom will make us release their commander,” Musa said.
According to him, the abductors also threatened to kill the children if security forces intensified rescue efforts.
“They are now threatening that if we come any closer, they’re going to kill all the kids,” he added.
Musa also rejected allegations that soldiers receive poor-quality meals, describing claims circulating in the public space as misleading.
Referring to an incident involving a military officer identified as Justice Crack, the minister alleged that the officer deliberately removed food items from a meal before recording a video to create a false impression.
“The soldier’s food was okay. There was meat; there was all this. But he told them to pull out those things and make it look as if those things were not there,” Musa said.