Luxury Awaits: Sacked Service Chiefs To Get Bulletproof SUVs, Lifetime Care, And Armed Guards

According to Ireporter Online, the recently relieved Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, along with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, and the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, are set to receive extensive retirement benefits as outlined in the Armed Forces’ Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service (HTCOS).

Their disengagement followed the appointment of new service chiefs by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday. General Olufemi Oluyede was named the new Chief of Defence Staff, Major-General W. Shaibu became the Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke assumed office as the Chief of Air Staff, and Rear Admiral I. Abbas took over as the Chief of Naval Staff. Major-General E.A.P. Undiendeye retained his position as Chief of Defence Intelligence.

In a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, the recent shake-up was described as a move aimed at reinforcing Nigeria’s national security structure.

Under the revised HTCOS signed by President Tinubu on December 14, 2024, the retired service chiefs are entitled to substantial post-service benefits. Each of them will receive a bulletproof Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) or an equivalent vehicle, which will be maintained and replaced every four years at the expense of the military. In addition, they are to get a Peugeot 508 or an equivalent backup car, along with a full complement of domestic staff—two cooks, two stewards, and one gardener.

Other privileges include the provision of an aide-de-camp or security officer, a personal or special assistant, three service drivers, a service orderly, and a standard guard detail comprising nine soldiers. The retired chiefs are also entitled to retain their uniforms for ceremonial purposes and maintain personal firearms, which must be surrendered upon their death.

The benefits extend to lifetime medical care, both within Nigeria and abroad, with officers of lieutenant-general rank and equivalent entitled to treatment worth up to $20,000 annually. However, the package for the service chiefs is expected to exceed that figure, though specific details were not disclosed.

The document also states that these privileges apply only if the retired officers do not take up any public-funded appointment. Should they accept such roles, they will be entitled only to allowances aligned with their new positions rather than a full salary.