The federal government has begun paying the long-overdue allowances of retired military personnel following a protest at the entrance of the Ministry of Finance in Abuja.

The demonstration, which lasted several hours, saw the retirees barricading the entrance with canopies and chairs from as early as 7am, preventing ministry staff from entering the premises.

This protest comes after a similar one in December 2024, when retirees shut down the ministry over the government’s failure to settle their claims.

For months, the retirees were told that there were no funds available to clear their entitlements, despite official approvals for the payments.

The retirees were owed salary increments ranging from 20% to 28% for the period between January and November 2024, along with other benefits, including palliatives from October 2023 to November 2024.

They also demanded an additional N32,000 to be added to their pensions, a bulk payment of the Security Debarment Allowance, and a refund of pension deductions for soldiers who were medically boarded.

Despite the government paying 50% of the owed entitlements after the December protest and promising to settle the remaining balance, the retirees claimed that the promise was not fulfilled, prompting their return to the streets on Tuesday.

A team of security officers, along with senior ministry staff, attempted to persuade the retirees to end the protest, but they remained firm in their demand for credit alerts before leaving.

Their stance changed only when the Chairman of the Military Pension Board, Air Vice Marshal Paul Irumheson, addressed the protesters and confirmed that the funds for their payments had been transferred to the board.

“We have received the funds for your entitlements, and you will begin to see your alerts shortly. Please leave now as we are working to ensure everyone is paid,” Irumheson said.

Following this announcement, the retirees began receiving their payment alerts, prompting them to dismantle the protest setup and return to their homes.

Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, spokesperson for the Coalition for Concerned Veterans, confirmed that retirees were receiving their payments, while Aliyu Umar, another community leader, expressed frustration over the government’s earlier claims that there were no funds.

“Now that the money is here, we ask, why did we have to protest to receive our entitlements?” Umar said.

An operative of the Sokoto State Community Guard Corps, whose name has not been disclosed, tragically shot and killed himself in an accidental discharge after participating in a joint operation that rescued 66 kidnap victims.

The operation, led by the Nigerian Army, took place on Monday at Tidibali Forest in the eastern part of Sokoto State.

Colonel Ahmed Usman (rtd), the Special Adviser to Governor Ahmed Aliyu on Security, confirmed the incident on Wednesday. He stated that the operative died from an accidental discharge shortly after returning to their base from the operation.

“The incident occurred shortly after the team returned to their base. He was handling his weapon when it accidentally fired, fatally wounding him. He died soon after,” Usman explained.

Usman highlighted the successes of the ongoing operation, which has been instrumental in the state’s efforts to combat banditry.

In addition to rescuing 66 kidnap victims, the operation has also resulted in the deaths of several bandits.

“The operation is ongoing as we are committed to eliminating criminal elements, especially bandits, from the state,” he added.

Earlier reports indicated that the rescued victims were taken to Isa town in the Isa Local Government area for further care.

Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has opposed the Federal Government’s request to resume his trial.

His legal representative, Aloy Ejimakor, disclosed this in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday.

Kanu, according to his lead counsel, rejected the Federal Government’s effort to restart the trial and insisted that the trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako, should recuse herself from the case.

Ejimakor emphasized that Justice Nyako’s decision to step aside was still valid and in effect.

“Our position is based on the fact that Justice Nyako entered and enrolled an order recusing herself on September 24, 2024, and to date, that order remains extant and subsisting. It has not been set aside by any competent court,” Ejimakor explained.

He further accused the prosecution of attempting to mislead the court, insisting that Kanu no longer has a case before Justice Nyako.

“For the avoidance of doubt, as of September 24, 2024, the defendant no longer has any case to answer before Justice Binta Nyako,” Ejimakor added.

Kanu, who is facing seven charges of treasonable felony and terrorism, has denied all allegations.

He was first arrested on October 14, 2015, after returning to Nigeria from the United Kingdom. He was granted bail in 2017 on health grounds after being detained at Kuje Correctional Facility.

After a military raid on his home, Kanu fled the country and returned to the UK but was re-arrested in Kenya in 2021 and repatriated to Nigeria, where he has been detained by the Department of State Services.

At the last court session on September 24, 2024, Kanu requested that Justice Nyako recuse herself, citing a loss of confidence in her ability to handle the case.

Justice Nyako agreed to step down and referred the case file to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment.

However, the Chief Judge returned the case to Nyako, arguing that, having handled the matter since 2015, she was best positioned to conclude it.

The Chief Judge directed that if Kanu still wanted her to step aside, he needed to file a formal motion with an affidavit outlining his reasons, serve it on the prosecution, and await Nyako’s determination.

Despite this, the Federal Government’s counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), requested a new trial date in a letter dated December 5, 2024, addressed to the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court.

Awomolo contended that the Chief Judge’s decision reinstated Justice Nyako as the trial judge.

During previous proceedings, Kanu had forcefully demanded Justice Nyako’s withdrawal, stating that he no longer trusted her impartiality.

He also repeated his objections to her handling of his repeated bail applications, which were turned down by the judge.

Addressing the judge, Kanu said, “My Lord, I have no confidence in this court anymore and I ask you to recuse yourself because you did not abide by the decision of the Supreme Court. I can understand it if the DSS refused to obey a court order, but for this court to refuse to obey an order of the Supreme Court is regrettable. I am asking you to recuse yourself from this case.”

In response, Awomolo urged Justice Nyako to disregard Kanu’s claim of disobeying a Supreme Court order and continue with the trial.

“My Lord, you should not recuse yourself on the basis of this mere observation which does not have anything to do with the Supreme Court. It is an incompetent observation. We urge this court to proceed with the hearing,” Awomolo stated.

However, Kanu objected vehemently, waving a document he said was a copy of the Supreme Court’s ruling.

He read aloud a section that called into question the impartiality of the trial court. Kanu insisted that his objection was not personal but was based on his belief that the trial was inconsistent with constitutional provisions.

In the end, Justice Nyako confirmed her decision, saying, “I hereby recuse myself and remit the case file back to the Chief Judge.”