“They used and dumped us” – Hundreds of ex-military officers threaten to block highways over unpaid arrears

Dozens of retired personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces have lamented non-payment of about 45 years’ pension arrears.

At a warning protest in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, the ex servicemen also threatened to block all federal highways across the country if their entitlements were not paid to them.

The pensioners comprised over 700 ex-service men from all the zones of the country except the South-East who served between 10 to 15 years.

The protesting retired personnel carried placards with various inscriptions such as, “We were used and dumped by the federal government”, “We are dying of hunger”, “President Tinubu please save our soul”, “We are ten years and above civil war veterans”.

Speaking with journalists, Corporal Babawande Philip, national coordinator of the group, said over 100 of their members have died as a result of poverty.

He noted that several members were currently physically challenged and sick but unable to access quality healthcare due to lack of funds.

Philip lamented that their counterparts who fought for the Biafran Army have since been paid by the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration, describing the situation as ‘unfair’.

“For the past 44 to 45 years, we have been deprived of our pension rights. In 2015 we did a capture in Abuja wherein every one of us was issued with a genuine pensioners form, we all have those copies with us ,since 2015, we have been waiting for this to really come up.