Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has revealed that the Federal Government has increased the monthly salary of entry-level soldiers from ₦49,000 to ₦100,000, describing the move as part of efforts to improve the welfare of military personnel.
Speaking during an interview with News Central, Musa admitted that although funding for the military remains insufficient, the government has made significant progress in supporting troops.
“It’s not enough,” Musa said when asked if the current defence budget was adequate.
Highlighting recent improvements, he added:
“When they started, a soldier was collecting ₦49,000 monthly. We tried so hard; now he’s collecting ₦100,000.”
The Defence Minister also addressed the controversy involving social media influencer Justice Mark Chidiebere, popularly known as Justice Crack, who was arrested after posting videos alleging poor feeding and welfare conditions in the Nigerian Army.
Musa dismissed the allegations, claiming the videos were deliberately manipulated to mislead the public.
“The soldiers’ food was okay. There was meat and other things, but he told them to pull them out and make it look like those things were not there,” he alleged.
Justice Crack was arrested in March alongside some soldiers after the videos went viral on social media. According to the Nigerian Army, its investigation found that the influencer allegedly encouraged soldiers to misrepresent their welfare conditions, an act the military described as an attempt to incite discontent and spread misinformation.
While the soldiers remain in military custody, Justice Crack was handed over to civil authorities for prosecution.
In May, the Federal High Court in Abuja granted the influencer ₦5 million bail, with his trial still ongoing.
