Soldiers now earn N100,000; Justice Crack staged food video, says Defence minister
By Ayobami Okerinde
The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has disclosed that the Federal Government has increased the minimum monthly salary of Nigerian soldiers from N49,000 to N100,000 while dismissing claims that troops are poorly fed.
Musa made the remarks during an interview with News Central on Wednesday ahead of the broadcast of its NC Exclusive programme on Friday.
The minister, however, maintained that the military remains underfunded despite recent improvements in personnel welfare.
Responding to a question on whether the current defence budget was adequate, Musa replied, “It’s not enough.”
He said the federal government had significantly improved the welfare of rank-and-file soldiers.
“When they started, a soldier was collecting N49,000 monthly. We tried so hard; now he’s collecting N100,000,” he said.
Musa also defended the Nigerian Army’s handling of the case involving social media influencer Justice Mark Chidiebere, popularly known as Justice Crack, who was arrested after publishing videos alleging poor feeding and welfare among soldiers.
According to the minister, the influencer deliberately distorted the situation by asking soldiers to remove portions of their meals before recording the videos.
“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,” Musa alleged.
Justice Crack was arrested in March alongside some soldiers after posting videos highlighting alleged poor feeding and welfare conditions within the Nigerian Army.
The army said its investigation found that the influencer had engaged soldiers in discussions that appeared aimed at inciting discontent and subversion, contrary to the armed forces’ social media policy. While the soldiers remained in military custody, Justice Crack was handed over to civil authorities for further investigation and possible prosecution.
The army also accused him of attempting to spread misinformation by encouraging soldiers to portray their welfare conditions inaccurately.
In May, the Federal High Court in Abuja granted Justice Crack bail in the sum of N5 million with one surety, while his trial continues.
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