We Can’t Build Homes While They Get Bulletproof Cars’ - Retired Soldiers Threaten Fresh Protest as Tinubu Approves Lavish Exit Benefits for Sacked Service Chiefs

By: Israel Adeleke

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that retired soldiers across Nigeria have expressed outrage over President Bola Tinubu’s approval of generous exit packages for recently sacked service chiefs, accusing the government of rewarding the top brass while neglecting the welfare of lower-ranking personnel who sacrificed their lives for the nation.

OTN News further reports that the sacked service chiefs—General Christopher Musa (former Chief of Defence Staff), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar (former Chief of Air Staff), and Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla (former Chief of Naval Staff)—are reportedly set to receive luxury benefits, including bulletproof vehicles, lifetime medical care, domestic aides, and other privileges.

Their exit follows Tinubu’s decision to overhaul the military hierarchy with the appointment of new service chiefs on Friday, October 24, 2025.

However, the news of the lavish post-service benefits has sparked widespread anger among retired soldiers, particularly those from the lower ranks, who said they continue to live in poverty and neglect despite decades of loyal service.

OTN News observes from monitored reports from The PUNCH on Sunday, that one Sergeant Zaki Williams, who claimed to represent more than 700 retired soldiers, lamented the deep inequality between retired generals and junior personnel.

In his words, "I don’t understand how our people in Nigeria do things,” Williams said bitterly. “The people at the top always make rules to favour themselves. They don’t care about the poor or the junior ones who sacrificed everything for this country.”

He said many retirees have waited years for their pension arrears and gratuities despite repeated assurances from the government.

“Since they made those promises to us, everything ended there. We’ve been waiting till now, but nothing has happened,” he said.

Williams, like many others, paint a grim picture of post-service life for junior soldiers who can no longer afford homes, medical care, or their children’s education.

“How can someone retire after 25 years of service and still not get his entitlement? Many of us can’t even build a house. The senior officers have houses, cars, and everything good, but the rest of us have nothing,” he lamented.

He added that the small compensation some received was insufficient to rebuild their lives.

“If they give you ₦2 million today, what can you do with it in this economy? We risked our lives for this nation, yet this is what we get,” he said.

Another retired soldier, Abdul Isiak, accused top military officers of frustrating efforts by the Ministry of Defence to settle the entitlements of lower-ranking retirees.

“All these benefits they are giving to the generals are far more than what we have ever asked for. We are only asking for our pensions and gratuities. We’ve suffered too much,” he said.

Isiak noted that many of his colleagues now depend on odd jobs to survive, while others have died waiting for their benefits.

“We have families too. We fought for this country. It’s unfair that only the top brass get everything while the rest of us are forgotten,” he added.

Disillusioned by years of broken promises, the ex-soldiers said they were considering another protest to draw attention to their plight.

“Some of us said we should protest again, but others refused because they fear harassment,” Williams explained. “We told them that day that we were not going for another protest. If the government wants to help us, they should help us. If not, we’re done.”

He said many of them have lost faith in the system. “We’ve cried and done our best. They promised us, but in the end, nothing happened. We haven’t seen anything,” he said quietly. “That’s why many of us are now silent.”

Meanwhile, military insiders told news men that the Armed Forces are bracing for a wave of compulsory retirements following the recent appointments.

According to sources, more than 50 senior officers—including generals, brigadiers-general, air vice-marshals, and admirals—could be affected as part of the traditional reorganisation that follows a change of leadership.

A senior officer explained that military convention dictates that any officer senior to the newly appointed service chiefs must retire immediately, as they cannot take orders from their juniors.

“It’s standard procedure,” the officer said. “When a junior is appointed as service chief, those senior to him must leave.”

Another source estimated that about 100 officers across the Army, Navy, and Air Force could leave service in the coming weeks.

The development has reignited debates about fairness and reward systems within Nigeria’s Armed Forces.

OTN News, however, observes that while government officials insist that the exit benefits for service chiefs are standard, critics say the luxury treatment of a few top officers, amid the suffering of thousands of retired rank-and-file soldiers, exposes the deep class divide in the military and raises urgent questions about justice and equity.