A group of retired army personnel on Monday besieged the headquarters of Nigeria’s Ministry of Finance in Abuja to demand the payment of their entitlements, including gratuities, Security Debarment Allowance (SDA), and withheld salaries.

The ex-servicemen voluntarily resigned from the Nigerian Army between the third and fourth quarters of 2023 and were disengaged in July 2024. 

During the protest, the retired military men who identified themselves as members of the “Voluntarily Discharged Soldiers of the First and Second Quarters of 2024” blocked the entrance of the ministry as early as 7:00 a.m., preventing officials from accessing the premises. 

Many protesters appeared in military camouflage, chanting solidarity songs and holding placards that bore messages of frustration over what they described as years of institutional neglect.

The demonstration grounded all activities at the ministry throughout Monday morning and into the afternoon, with staff stranded outside the gates and senior officials forced to initiate emergency talks with the protesters.

They accused the Military Pensions Board of abandoning their case and hiding behind technicalities to evade responsibility. They said the board also claimed veterans were not entitled to the new national minimum wage adjustments, citing their disengagement date of July 1, 2024, as the basis.

“Our disengagement was done formally through the system, yet they’re now telling us we’re not entitled to minimum wage adjustments or palliatives because we left in July,” one of the protesting soldiers, Sergeant Idris Usman (rtd), told Peoples Gazette.

The protesters listed multiple grievances, including non-payment of statutory gratuities, Security Debarment Allowance, parking allowances, and the federal government’s recent wage award, which they said had been selectively disbursed.

Also, Corporal Ekene Okwara (rtd) said, “We are not asking for favours. We are demanding what we are owed. We put in our time and service. Some of us were in conflict zones for years. Now we’re left with nothing to show for it.” 

Mr Okwara added, “They keep telling us to be patient, but we’ve been patient since our disengagement in 2024. How long do they want us to wait?”

Attempts to mediate the protest fell flat after a senior military officer, identified by protesters as an air vice marshal, arrived at the scene to plead with the veterans. The ex-servicemen rejected the appeals and insisted they would not vacate the entrance until their demands were formally acknowledged and timelines for payments provided.

Personnel from the Nigerian Army and other security forces had since been deployed to the ministry’s premises to ensure the protest remained peaceful and to forestall any escalation. No violence or altercation was reported.

Neither the Ministry of Finance nor the Military Pensions Board has issued any statement on the protest or the status of the retirees’ entitlements.

This latest demonstration adds to a growing list of protests by retired military personnel in Nigeria who have, over the years, accused the federal government of repeatedly neglecting their welfare. In March 2023, a similar protest at the Defence Headquarters was sparked by demands for pension harmonisation and unpaid medical benefits.