Dozens of retired police officers staged a protest at the entrance of the National Assembly, demanding their removal from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). The protesters, many of whom are in their 60s and 70s, held placards and sang solidarity songs in the rain, expressing frustration over what they described as years of neglect and hardship under the current pension arrangement.
Leading the protest was retired Chief Superintendent of Police, Mannir Lawal, who criticized the CPS as exploitative and unjust. He said the scheme had failed to provide retired officers with adequate financial security after years of dedicated service. “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,” Lawal stated.
The demonstration later moved from the National Assembly to the Nigeria Police Force headquarters in Abuja, where the retirees blocked the main entrance, further amplifying their demand for exclusion from the scheme. According to reports from Daily Trust and The Punch, the protest was peaceful but determined, drawing attention from security operatives who closely monitored the situation to prevent any breakdown of law and order.
The retired officers are calling on the federal government and the leadership of the National Assembly to amend the Pension Reform Act 2004, which places them under the CPS. They argued that, unlike the military and intelligence agencies, which are exempt from the scheme, retired police officers have been subjected to inadequate monthly payments and delayed entitlements.
Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju and political activist Omoyele Sowore were also present at the protest, lending their support to the retirees and urging the government to address the injustice. The protesters vowed not to leave until their demands were acknowledged by relevant authorities, stressing that their call is not just for better pensions, but also for the restoration of their dignity after years of service to the nation.
As the protest unfolded under the rain, it became symbolic of the resilience and desperation of the officers who say they have been left behind in retirement. The demonstration highlights a growing concern about the welfare of Nigeria’s aging security personnel and the urgent need for reform in the nation’s pension system.
