Falcons’ N150m gift sparks outrage among retired soldiers, cops battling poverty
By Daylight
August 2, 2025
Falcons celebrating their win
President Bola Tinubu’s N150m gift to the Super Falcons for winning their 10th WAFCON title has elicited mixed reactions from the public.
While a section of the public applauded the gesture and commended the President, many people, including retired military and police personnel, criticised the gift, describing it as extravagant.
Critics called the gift a misplaced priority in light of the “poor welfare and neglect” of military veterans who risked their lives for the country.
Specifically, retired police officers under the Contributory Pension Scheme expressed frustration over what they described as the government’s preferential treatment of sports figures, particularly female footballers, while those who spent their lives securing the country are left to suffer in retirement.
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The Super Falcons came from two goals down to win 3–2 and claim their 10th WAFCON title last Saturday.
Following their victory, Tinubu hosted the team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday.
At the event, each player and member of the coaching crew was conferred with the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger.
In addition, Tinubu gifted $100,000 to each player and $50,000 to each member of the technical crew.
He also promised three-bedroom apartments for all team members in the Renewed Hope Housing Estate located in the Federal Capital Territory.
At an exchange rate of N1,500 to the dollar, the $100,000 amounts to N150m.
The rewards have continued to dominate discussions on social media, as netizens and other members of the public debate their rationality and Tinubu’s sincerity.
The gift also came a few days after a nationwide protest by retired policemen against what they described as poor treatment and humiliating pension payments.
On July 21, 2025, the ex-officers demanded their removal from the Contributory Pension Scheme, which they claimed had been shortchanging them.
Retired soldiers question govt’s priorities
Commenting on the gift, a soldier who retired as a Corporal in 2024, Lukmon Aderibigbe, questioned why footballers earn in a day what soldiers who had spent years on the battlefield were denied.
He lamented that the government had been unfair to soldiers.
Aderibigbe said, “It is often said that no country can truly compensate a soldier for their sacrifice. While that may be true, the Federal Government has not been fair in terms of soldiers’ welfare.
“How can someone earn N150m for playing a game for under two hours, while a soldier who gives 35 years of his life to defend the nation receives only a fraction of that in gratuity?”
He recounted that one of his colleagues, who sustained a gunshot injury during a military operation against Boko Haram in 2013, was abandoned by the government during treatment.
The retired corporal alleged that his wounded friend was referred to the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Yaba, Lagos, for treatment, only to be told that the National Health Insurance Scheme did not cover gunshot wounds.
Aderibigbe said the soldier had to foot the bill for his treatment.
“The situation worsened when his salary was stopped after he was ordered to return to his unit in Borno State (Monguno), even though his injury had not fully healed. All efforts to convince his commanding officer of his condition failed.
“Tragically, he was later killed during an attack on his unit by Boko Haram in 2014. He couldn’t escape because of his injury. What kind of country do we serve, where a soldier who sacrifices everything is treated this way?”
Aderibigbe lamented the compensation for soldiers, adding that it was usually meagre.
He stated, “I am not satisfied with the reward I received for my service. After serving for over 15 years, I was paid less than N3m as gratuity.
“Recently, we (a set of retirees) wrote an observation letter to the Military Pension Board stating that we were underpaid. The basis of the complaint was that the new minimum wage, which was approved on July 29, 2024, and made effective from May 1, 2024, should apply to us, since we were still in active service during that period.
“Our official date of disengagement from service was July 1, 2024. Logically, our benefits should be calculated based on the current wage structure. Unfortunately, we were told by the Military Pension Board that we are not entitled to the adjustment. We are still pursuing the matter. But clearly, this is not a fair reflection of the sacrifices we made.”
He called on the government to support soldiers, saying, “Recognising and supporting military veterans would greatly boost morale. Even in retirement, we remain valuable to the nation as a backup force and as contributors to national security through our experience and intelligence.”
Another retired military officer, Adamu Bashar, also condemned the money splashed on the victorious Super Falcons.
Bashar, who said he retired from active service about eight years ago, described the N150m gift as “a complete waste of scarce resources.”
He called on the Federal Government to extend similar gestures to retired military personnel who had spent their entire careers protecting the country’s sovereignty.
“To me, that is a complete waste of money. Most of us, the retired soldiers, are being paid peanuts. We who defended this country with our lives are not even asking for N150m. Let the government give us even N20m and see whether youths will not show interest in joining the military.
“One of the reasons youths these days refuse to join the Army is because of the treatment those in service and veterans receive, which is not encouraging,” he stated.
Similarly, a soldier who retired as a Lance Corporal after sustaining a hand injury in an insurgent attack, Olumayowa Akogun-Abudu, described Tinubu’s gesture as wasteful.
He said the reward should have been directed towards military veterans, who had sacrificed for the country but earned very little.
Akogun-Abudu, in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, said, “They have always been wasteful in spending. I sacrificed my all for the country. I took the shots and bled all night, and N150m cannot even be worth the sacrifice.”
He described the military job as suicidal, lamenting that he received no care or support after sustaining the injury on the battlefield.
“I was wounded at Kamuya by a suicide bomber while on advance with the 27 Task Force Brigade on April 27, 2017.
“They (government) gave me nothing. I was even spending my money while recuperating. It was one of the reasons I left the military, because I felt our sacrifices were not valued, neither were our efforts applauded.”
Decrying his emolument after serving for 13 years and 66 days, Akogun-Abudu said the amount he was paid was so meagre it came as a shock to him.
He stated, “I was paid N2,185,000, and my special debarment allowance was N911,000. That’s my worth. Why would I be happy with such ill-treatment?”
Also, a retired Army Corporal in Yobe State, Abdullahi Idris, lamented that retired army officers were being treated as third-class citizens, saying their sacrifices and contributions were being overlooked by the government.
Abdullahi, who retired in 2003 after 12 years of service, said he left the military due to an accident that left him with a fractured leg.
He said he receives a monthly pension of N72,900 and lamented that retired army officers face challenges, including unpaid liabilities and lack of recognition.
“We have started receiving the security debarment allowance, but it suddenly stopped for no reason. If the government can pay us all outstanding entitlements, we will feel regarded as first-class citizens who served to defend the Nigerian state,” Abdullahi stated.
He expressed disappointment in the government’s priorities, citing lavish spending on “unnecessary things,” such as the N150m gift to the Super Falcons.
Abdullahi said, “It shows that retired army officers are no longer considered first-class citizens, but rather third-class citizens.
“The situation is highly disheartening, with many retired army officers feeling neglected and demoralised. Some have total disabilities and are left stranded and uncared for, while others struggle to access medical care.”
Abdullahi appealed to the Federal Government and the Nigerian Army to address the entitlements of retired army officers.
Also, a retired Army Captain in Yobe State, Yahaya J. Umar, said there was a need to review pension allowances for retired military personnel to reflect current economic realities.
Umar, who said he joined the Army in 1992 and retired in 2014, noted that the government needed to prioritise the welfare of veterans and provide support for their children, including education and job opportunities.
Police retirees demand equity
Also reacting to the development, Mannir Lawal, a leader among the CPS-retired police officers, said the gesture to the Super Falcons exposed the government’s unwillingness to address the long-standing grievances of ex-police personnel.
He said, “We were surprised when we saw what was given to our female footballers, while we had been made to believe there is no money.
“If they released this kind of huge sum to the Falcons simply because they won a competition, it shows they are not ready to take care of retired police officers. That is the conclusion I can draw now.”
Lawal argued that police retirees deserved more than “a three-bedroom apartment and some token money,” stressing that their years of service involved grave risks.
“Without our efforts, you can’t imagine what would have become of this country. Some of us had life-threatening injuries, and others died while serving Nigeria. Let them just exit us from the CPS. That scheme has led to the deaths of many of us, while others are still dying,” he lamented.
Another retired officer, Buba Danjuma, also criticised what he described as the government’s misplaced priorities.
He said it was painful to see footballers, who played for 90 minutes, rewarded handsomely, while officers who sacrificed their youth for national security live in hardship.
“We watched it on TV — our daughters who played football for 90 minutes collecting this huge amount of money, while those who sacrificed their lives are being neglected by the government. What kind of government is that?” Danjuma asked.
He went on to criticise the National Health Insurance Scheme, saying it had failed to provide basic medical support to retirees, despite years of mandatory contributions during service.
“They collected our money when we were serving. Now that we are retired and need the scheme, they say drugs are out of stock. You will need not less than N10,000 to N15,000 to buy them yourself. Meanwhile, what we receive monthly is peanuts,” he lamented.
Danjuma warned that the current treatment of retirees was demoralising for serving officers.
“Those still in service are watching. How do you expect them to give their best when their future is not bright? They have seen how we are suffering.”
Nigerians happy Tinubu gave Super Falcons N150m each – Onanuga
However, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said many Nigerians were happy with the N150m and other rewards given to the country’s female players.
He warned critics not to link the reward to other issues, insisting that the gift was justified and well-deserved.
Onanuga said, “As much as there has been criticism on this, there have also been praises, lots of praises. In fact, more praises for that gesture.
“Let’s not complicate matters. We cannot link the reward given to the Super Falcons to other things. I’ve read someone saying that the money can pay 16,000 doctors. They’re two different things. You can’t link it to ex-service men and women’s payments. They’re different issues. Let’s not mix them up. The President and the country were proud of those girls’ achievement for the 10th time. So, this was at the back of the President’s mind when he was showering them with those gifts. He rewarded them for their hard work, their spirit in the field of play. That’s the reason.
“From what I read, many Nigerians supported that gesture. And don’t forget, some veteran sports people like Aisha Falode said this is the first time in all their 10 victories that a sitting President will give these girls such a grand reception. First, it is a record — 10 victories. And the 10th one was even more spectacular. Many people gave up after the first half. Some saw the news of our victory the next morning.” Punch
