President Bola Tinubu on Thursday convened a closed-door meeting with the nation’s top security and intelligence chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, amid growing discontent within the Armed Forces over soldiers’ welfare and delayed implementation of a promised salary review.
The meeting came hours after reactions trailed comments by the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who disclosed that the minimum monthly salary for Nigerian soldiers had increased from N50,000 to N100,000, even as he admitted that the country’s defence budget remained inadequate.
The two-hour meeting was attended by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Undiandeye; Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; Director-General of the Department of State Services, Adeola Ajayi; Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed; and the President’s Special Adviser on Homeland Security, Maj. Gen. Adeyinka Famadewa (retd.), among other senior security officials.
Although the Presidency did not disclose details of the meeting, sources said it focused on the country’s security situation and ongoing military operations across different theatres.
The meeting followed recent military offensives in the North-West and North-East, including airstrikes that disrupted a large convoy of suspected terrorists in Zamfara and Katsina states and operations by troops of Operation Hadin Kai against insurgents in Borno State.
Meanwhile, veterans and serving military personnel criticised the reported N100,000 minimum salary, describing it as inadequate in view of Nigeria’s rising cost of living.
Some serving personnel, who spoke anonymously because they were not authorised to speak publicly, urged the Federal Government to implement the salary increase President Tinubu announced in March, saying the promised review had yet to take effect.
They warned that poor remuneration was affecting troop morale, encouraging personnel to abandon service and making military recruitment less attractive.
One officer said soldiers continued to risk their lives daily while struggling to meet basic family needs, adding that the government must fulfil its commitment to improve welfare.
Retired military personnel also questioned the adequacy of the salary, arguing that the amount does not reflect the sacrifices made by troops battling insecurity across the country.
President Tinubu had on March 7 assured members of the Armed Forces that his administration would prioritise their welfare, including improved salaries, accommodation and benefits, during an interfaith breaking of fast with service chiefs at the Presidential Villa.
Speaking earlier this week, the Defence Minister said government had doubled the minimum salary of soldiers to N100,000 but acknowledged that funding remained a major challenge for the military.
He also advocated stricter penalties for kidnappers, including the death penalty, while insisting that government remained committed to improving the welfare and operational effectiveness of the armed forces.
As of the time of filing this report, the Presidency had not issued an official statement on Thursday’s security meeting.
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