Military Retirees Block Pensions Board Entrance in Abuja Over Disputed Payments

Retired military personnel have intensified their protest over alleged discrepancies in pension adjustments, blocking the entrance to the Military Pensions Board office in Dutse Alhaji, Abuja, on Tuesday.

The demonstration followed growing dissatisfaction among veterans over the method used to calculate pension increases after salary adjustments for serving military personnel. The retirees are demanding fair treatment and clarification of how their revised entitlements are determined.

Coordinator of the Veterans Association of Nigeria, Lieutenant Colonel Innocent Azubike, accused the board of applying a formula that allegedly leaves some pensioners short-changed. He argued that retired personnel of the same rank and years of service could receive different pension amounts depending on when they left the military.

The retirees are also calling for a forensic audit of the Military Pensions Board to establish how funds allocated for pension payments have been utilised. They have questioned whether the current computation method complies with the approvals and directives governing the recent adjustments.

Meanwhile, the Military Pensions Board has maintained that it is implementing approved pension reviews and processing applicable arrears. The dispute comes despite earlier engagements between the board and veterans’ representatives, with retirees insisting that their concerns must be addressed transparently.