Pensions Transition Arrangement Directorate, PTAD, has disclosed plans to commence payment of pension benefits to soldiers, paramilitary officers and police officers dismissed as a result of their roles in the Nigerian civil war which lasted between 1967 and 1970.

The agency said this on Wednesday via a press release signed by the spokesperson, Mr Ema Okondo.

Okondo said those to be paid specifically are members of the military, Nigeria Police and paramilitary officers who fought alongside the Biafran secessionists and were dismissed from service as a result of this.

“The dismissal of those officers was commuted to retirement in 2000 through a Presidential Amnesty granted on 29th May, 2000 by the Administration of the then President, Olusegun Obasanjo.

A verification exercise was conducted for the pardoned officers by the defunct Police Pension Office and recently PTAD on one hand and the Police Service Commission on the other,” the statement said.

“Despite the Presidential pardon and verification of these officers, many of them remained unpaid years after the pardon. However, the present administration under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari has graciously given approval for the payment of pension entitlements to these officers or their next-of-kin.”

PTAD is commencing the payment of benefits on Friday in Enugu.

”About 162 officers will be payrolled and 57 Next of Kin whose principals have also not been paid their death benefits will be paid in the first batch,” the statement said.

Nigeria witnessed a bloody civil war between July 1967 and January 1970 in which millions of lives were lost on and off battlegrounds between federal forces and Biafran secessionists led by late Odumegwu Ojukwu.

PT