Retired Police Officers, Wives Protest In Abuja Over Pension Bill

Retired police officers and their wives, on Wednesday staged a protest at the National Assembly in Abuja, demanding that President Bola Tinubu assent to a bill seeking to exempt the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

The protesters under the aegis of the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria, accused the federal government of delaying action on the legislation, which they said was necessary to address the poor retirement benefits received by former police personnel.

The retirees, accompanied by family members, gathered at the National Assembly gate in matching blue T-shirts and face caps, carrying placards and banners while chanting calls for the president to sign the bill into law.

The demonstration is part of an indefinite protest that the group resumed on September 29, 2026, following what its leaders described as the failure of previous engagements with government officials to resolve their grievances.

The forum’s leader, CSP Raphael Irowainu (retd.), said the protest was intended to pressure Tinubu to act on the bill, which he said was passed by the National Assembly on December 4, 2025, and transmitted to the president on March 16, 2026.

Irowainu accused the National Pension Commission (PenCom) and police management of opposing the proposed exemption, alleging that their actions had contributed to the delay in the president’s assent.

He said the retirees were not satisfied with assurances that their welfare would be improved, insisting that their primary demand was the removal of the police from the contributory pension system.

The latest protest followed a demonstration at PenCom’s headquarters in Abuja on Monday, where the retirees reportedly spent about seven hours demanding that the commission stop interfering with the proposed legislation.

According to Irowainu, PenCom’s secretary and Legal Adviser, Mohammed Sani, addressed the protesters on behalf of the commission’s director-general, Omolola Oloworaran, and appealed for calm, assuring them that efforts were being made to improve their retirement benefits.

The protesters, however, maintained that their demand went beyond an improvement in benefits under the existing arrangement.

They argued that the police should be exempted from the scheme, citing the exemptions granted to other security and public institutions following concerns about retirement welfare.

The contributory pension system was introduced in Nigeria in 2004. Irowainu said the military, Department of State Services, National Intelligence Agency and National Assembly had subsequently been exempted, leaving police personnel under a system he described as inadequate.

To illustrate their concerns, the retired officer cited what he said were the lump-sum payments and monthly pensions received by retirees across different ranks.

According to him, retired Assistant Superintendents of Police receive between N2.1 million and N2.5 million as lump sums, with monthly pensions of about N25,000.

He said retired Superintendents receive between N2.5 million and N2.8 million, alongside monthly pensions ranging from N35,000 to N40,000, while retired Commissioners of Police allegedly receive between N7 million and N9 million as lump sums and monthly pensions of between N90,000 and N100,000.

The figures were presented by the forum’s leader.

Irowainu said the pension arrangements had left many retired officers struggling to meet their basic needs, including medical expenses, after decades of service.

He further alleged that more than 20 members of the forum had died within the preceding six months because they could not afford medical treatment.

The group, he said, was compiling the names of the deceased members for possible publication.

The retired officer also linked the pension dispute to concerns about the welfare and morale of serving police personnel, arguing that uncertainty over retirement benefits could undermine confidence in the institution.

He alleged that poor retirement prospects contributed to some officers engaging in unprofessional conduct, including extortion and intimidation. The allegation was not independently substantiated.

The retirees said their agitation began in September 2025 and had continued through several engagements with government institutions.

Irowainu recalled that the group protested at the Presidential Villa in April after the president failed to assent to the bill. He said the retirees suspended their demonstration after receiving assurances that the matter would be resolved but resumed their action when no satisfactory outcome followed.

He added that an intervention by the Inspector-General of Police in August also failed to produce a resolution.

The forum subsequently visited the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Police Affairs as part of its efforts to draw attention to the matter.

The group has accused PenCom officials of opposing the proposed exemption, but the allegations have not been independently established.

Irowainu maintained that the retirees would continue their demonstrations until Tinubu assents to the bill or the government takes concrete steps to address their concerns.

He said the forum had planned protests at several locations, including government offices and the international airport, to draw public attention to the dispute.

The retirees insist that their demand is a welfare issue with wider implications for national security, arguing that serving officers need assurances that their years of service will be adequately recognised when they retire.