Hundreds of retired police personnel staged protests across several states and the Federal Capital Territory on Monday, voicing strong opposition to their continued inclusion in the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), DAILY GAZETTE reports.
The retirees also passed a vote of no confidence in the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, over the pension dispute.
Our correspondents in Abuja, Kwara, Edo, Cross River, Plateau, Bauchi, and other states reported that former officers ranging from Constables to Commissioners of Police rallied with a unified demand: “Removal from the Contributory Pension Scheme.”
Former Superintendent of Police Adekunle Iwalaiye, legal adviser to the Association of Retired Police Officers of Nigeria (ARPON), described the issue as a “ticking time-bomb” for national security.
“When officers know they will retire into poverty, they stop caring about integrity. That is how corruption grows. You cannot pay a man 2.4 million after 35 years and expect him to retire with dignity,” Iwalaiye said, adding that many retirees are “battling health issues without any form of support.”
Despite heavy rain, Abuja protesters marched to the National Assembly before proceeding to Force Headquarters to make their voices heard.
They were led by Mannir Lawal, a retired Chief Superintendent; ex-presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore; human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju; and other activists.
Retiree Lawal, 67, called the CPS “exploitative and unjust,” urging the government to exempt police retirees immediately.
“We are here to ask the government to remove us from the CPS… This scheme has impoverished us. It is our right to demand better,” he told journalists.
In Plateau, protesters delivering a letter to the State Police Commissioner accused the government of using then abandoning them. State chairman Ayuba Gora said officers have been left without support, struggling to survive.
In Kwara, the retired officers marched to the Nigeria Union of Journalists Press Centre, holding placards like “We Are Not Slaves” and “Exempt Us from CPS Now.” Y
akubu Jimoh, ARPON’s state chairman, referred to the CPS as “a trap” that robs dedicated officers of dignity.
The Edo chapter also lamented abject poverty, stating that retirees are unable to feed themselves or meet basic responsibilities. Anthony Nnachor, their chairman, emphasized:
“Police pensioners are dying on a daily basis due to lack of money to treat themselves while they are sick.”
In Bauchi, the state branch joined the Abuja protest, sending delegates. Cross River retirees also criticized the IGP’s leadership and demanded immediate withdrawal from the scheme.
Responding at Force Headquarters, IGP Egbetokun addressed the retirees directly, saying:
“I am not opposed to your exit from the CPS. I’m not opposed to it. If exiting from CPS will solve the problem, I will go for it.”
He said he empathizes with the retirees and has been engaging at high levels to address their plight.
“We all feel concerned. We empathise with you because we are also going to retire. I have been engaging at the highest level to ensure that something is done to improve the condition of the poor pensioner.”
He revealed a meeting with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, where retirees’ welfare was discussed:
“There are a number of things that we have done… I just want to assure you that we empathise with you and we are not just folding our arms.”
However, he cautioned: “Don’t allow the enemies of the police to use you… Be suspicious of those who pretend to be on your side.”
The IGP clarified that exiting the CPS is beyond the authority of any Inspector-General:
“The agitation to exit the CPS has been on since 2014… All previous IGs have tried their best to remove the police from the CPS. But exiting the CPS is beyond the power of any Inspector General of Police.”
He emphasized they are seeking alternative solutions to ensure retirees can live decently—even within the scheme.
“We can improve the operation of that CPS and ensure that you are happy in retirement… these alternative ways I’m working on that people are misinterpreting as I am opposing your exit from CPS.”
