Retired military personnel on Tuesday barricaded the entrance to the Military Pensions Board office in Abuja, protesting the formula used to calculate adjustments to their pensions.
The veterans blocked the entrance with canopies and chairs, while armed soldiers prevented them from gaining access to the premises.
The demonstration followed growing dissatisfaction among military retirees over the implementation of pension adjustments expected to reflect salary increases granted to serving military personnel.
The protest also comes weeks after the retirees staged a demonstration at the Ministry of Defence in September, demanding improved pensions following the salary adjustments for serving members of the armed forces.
Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, had previously assured the retirees that their pensions would be increased in October.
However, the Coordinator of the Veterans Association of Nigeria, Lt. Col. Innocent Azubike, accused the Military Pensions Board of adopting a calculation formula that allegedly disadvantaged some retirees.
Azubike said the planned demonstration was driven by mounting frustration among veterans over how the consequential adjustments were being implemented.
According to the retirees, the formula used to calculate the revised payments has failed to adequately reflect the salary increases granted to serving military personnel, raising concerns about whether they would receive the pension increases they expected.
The latest protest highlights the continuing dispute between retired military personnel and the authorities over the calculation and implementation of the promised pension adjustments.
The retirees are seeking a fairer approach to the adjustments to ensure that their entitlements adequately reflect the approved changes in military salaries.
Further details on the protest and the authorities’ response were not immediately available.
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