Christopher Musa, the minister of defence, says the federal government has increased the minimum monthly salary of Nigerian soldiers from N49,000 to N100,000 to improve their welfare.
Musa spoke on Wednesday during an interview with News Central ahead of the broadcast of its NC Exclusive programme on Friday.
The minister, who previously served as the chief of defence staff (CDS), said the military remains underfunded despite the improvement in personnel welfare.
“When they started, a soldier was collecting N49,000 monthly. We tried so hard; now he’s collecting N100,000,” he said.
While acknowledging that the current defence budget is inadequate, he said the President Bola Tinubu-led administration has significantly increased military personnel’s salaries.
He also called for the death penalty for kidnappers, saying stiffer punishment is needed to deter the rising incidence of abductions across the country.
“I think we should do that. There
