Veterans block Abuja pensions board over disputed adjustment formula

Protest at the Military Pensions Board On Tuesday, 13 October 2026, a group of retired Nigerian military personnel erected barricades of chairs and canopies at the entrance of the Military Pensions Board (MPB) office in the Dutse Alhaji district of Abuja. Armed soldiers were deployed to keep the protesters from entering the premises. The action was reported by both Punch and Legit.ng.

Reason for the dispute The demonstration centred on the method the MPB used to calculate consequential adjustments to veterans’ pensions after a salary increase for serving members took effect on 1 September 2026. Defence Minister Christopher Musa had announced in September that retirees would see a pension rise in October. However, veterans claim the amounts received fell short of the percentages approved by the government.

Lt Col Innocent Azubike, a retired officer who coordinates the Veterans Association of Nigeria, said the board’s formula produced inconsistent outcomes, with pensioners of the same rank and length of service receiving different payments depending on their retirement date. According to the reports, the retirees highlighted a hypothetical scenario in which two former privates each served 35 years but retired a year apart; the one who retired in October 2025 on a monthly salary of N100,000 would be entitled to a pension of N90,000 (90 % of salary), yet the approved consequential adjustment for that rank was 80 %, suggesting a disparity in how the formula was applied.

Demands and board response The veterans called for a forensic audit of the MPB to trace the use of funds allocated for the adjustments and urged the board to acknowledge the complaints before the outgoing chairman handed over to his successor. The MPB, for its part, asserted that it had implemented the approved rates in line with the law and defended the computation method.

Negotiations and outcome After the barricade was erected, the board invited the protesters to a meeting. The discussion concluded without a definitive resolution, leaving the dispute unresolved as of the latest reports.

Wider implications The standoff reflects broader concerns about transparency and fairness in the administration of military pensions in Nigeria. Both sources note that the protest occurred amid ongoing debates about the upcoming leadership transition at the MPB, adding pressure on authorities to address the veterans’ grievances before the handover is completed.