Voluntarily discharged personnel of the Nigerian Army, Batch B, 2025, have petitioned the Chief of Army Staff over what they described as unresolved post-discharge entitlements, administrative irregularities, and alleged discriminatory treatment following their disengagement from service.
In a petition addressed to the Chief of Army Staff at the Nigerian Army Headquarters, Abuja, the affected ex-soldiers said they were formally discharged from service on November 30, 2025, but several statutory benefits due to them have allegedly remained unpaid more than two months after disengagement.
The petitioners listed the non-payment of terminal leave allowance and the statutory three-month upfront payment provided under the Mobilisation, Administration and Finance Arrangement (MAFA) as key grievances.
According to them, the failure to release these entitlements has caused severe financial hardship, stressing that terminal benefits are earned rights and not discretionary privileges.
They also raised concerns over what they described as discriminatory disparity in salary and allowance payments.
The former personnel alleged that officers from the rank of Warrant Officer and above, who were discharged on the same date, were paid their December 2025 salaries and scarce skill allowances, while Staff Sergeants and below were excluded from similar payments.
They argued that such differential treatment violates Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which prohibits discrimination, as well as established military principles of equity and uniform administrative practice.
The petition further alleged that several other ancillary allowances due at the point of discharge remain unpaid without formal explanation or documented justification.
Beyond financial entitlements, the ex-soldiers also complained about the continued withholding of their discharge certificates.
They claimed that over 60 days after their discharge, they have neither received their certificates nor been invited for final documentation, a situation they said has adversely affected their access to pensions, employment opportunities, and civil documentation.
The petitioners noted that no official circular, signal, or policy directive has been communicated to them to justify the delays, omissions, or disparities, which they argued runs contrary to the constitutional principles of fair hearing and administrative transparency under Section 36 of the Constitution.
Citing the Armed Forces Act, MAFA provisions, and Sections 14, 17, and 42 of the Constitution, the former soldiers called on the Nigerian Army leadership to urgently intervene.
They urged the Chief of Army Staff to order the immediate release of their discharge certificates, payment of all outstanding entitlements, and provide a written explanation for the alleged disparity in salary and allowance payments.
Copies of the petition were also forwarded to the Minister of Defence, the Military Pensions Board, and other relevant military and anti-corruption agencies.
The petitioners said they submitted their appeal with utmost respect for military hierarchy, expressing confidence that the Nigerian Army would uphold justice, fairness, and the welfare legacy of the institution.
