Retired policemen protest poor pension, welfare nationwide

 By Kingsley Omonobi, Demola Akinyemi, Marie-Therese Nanlong & Ozioruva Aliu

ABUJA — Retired police officers stormed the streets nationwide yesterday, protesting poor pensions and other living conditions.

Aside from Abuja, the protest took place simultaneously in Edo, Plateau, Kwara, Taraba and Cross Rivers states, among others.

In Abuja, the retired police personnel who defied the downpour protested at the National Assembly entrance gate, where they were joined by another group of protesters, led by the convener of the #RevolutionNow Movement, Omoyele Sowore.

The retired police officers demanded, particularly, the removal of the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, in a swift reaction, however, stated that he was not opposed to the NPF’s exit from CPS, adding that the issue of poor retirement benefits is also a concern for serving officers

At the entrance gate of the National Assembly, the protesters sang solidarity songs, demanding the removal of the NPF from the CPS, arguing that a situation where an average retired police officer takes home between N14,000 and N22,000 monthly as pension is unacceptable.

The demonstrators, comprising elderly ex-police personnel, held placards and chanted solidarity songs as they stood in the rain, insisting that their welfare and dignity had been neglected for too long.

Speaking during the protest, a retired Chief Superintendent of Police, Manir Lawal, called on the Federal Government to exit police retirees from the pension scheme, which he described as exploitative and unjust.
His words: “We are here to ask the government to remove us from the CPS. The pension scheme is exploitative and unjust.

“I am 67 years old. Many of us here are in our 60s and 70s. We have served this country faithfully and deserve to retire in dignity. This scheme has impoverished us. It is our right to demand better.”

Another protester said: “I am receiving N20,000 as pension after serving for 35 years. This is the receipt, how can anybody survive this very harsh economy with this, let alone children and family?’’
A retired ASP also said: “I am receiving N22,000. And I was an ASP (Assistant Superintendent of Police) before I retired.’

Yet another retiree said at the protest ground: “I am receiving N18,000. I retired in 2010. And this has been what I have been receiving.’’

Also speaking with Vanguard, a retiree said: “My name is ASP Joshua Abdul. I am from Bauchi State. For nine months, they didn’t paid my pension. Many of our colleagues in Bauchi have died because of lack of money.

“They were paying them N 10,000, N12,000 and me, as a retired ASP, I receive N14,000.”

An officer who recently retired, said: “I retired from the Nigeria Police three months ago and I was called to come and sign a consent form for collection of my gratuity of just N3.6 million.

“I have served this country for over 15 years. This is disheartening when you hear our colleagues from sister agencies going home with something more tangible, some N30million, others N20million.”

The retirees, whose protest was peaceful, vowed not to leave the rain until their concerns were addressed by the leadership of the National Assembly.

To complement the efforts of the retired police personnel in Abuja, activist, Omoyele Sowore, led a protest March over poor welfare conditions and poor pensions of Nigeria Police personnel to Force Headquarters and subsequently to the National Assembly.

Chanting “Pay Police living wage and proper pensions,” the group brandished placards showing their demands for both serving and retired police officers.

Some of the placards had such inscriptions as “Decent Salaries Now,” “End Police Slavery,” “Pensions for Police Officers,” “Dignity for Those in Uniform,” among others.

As the protest in Abuja was on, a similar protest took place in Jos, the Plateau State capital, as the protesters were dressed in black outfits to symbolise grief, wielding placards with diverse inscriptions stating their grievances.

Over 300 retired police officers under the CPS in Plateau State took part in the peaceful protest.

The demonstration, held at the Police Officers’ Mess in Jos, highlighted the retirees’ growing frustration with what they described as a failed pension system that had left many destitute after decades of meritorious service to the nation.

In Ilorin, the retired police officers also staged a peaceful protest to demand immediate removal from the CPS and called on President Bola Tinubu to come to their rescue.

The angry retirees also called on the Federal Government and the National Assembly to fast-track the legislative process on the disbursement of the N758 billion pension shortfall owed security agencies, which ought to have been paid since June 2025.

In Benin City, some of the retired policemen protested on some streets of the city, saying what they were getting at the end of their retirement was not commensurate with what they and their employer, which is the Federal Government, ought to have contributed.