Tension briefly rose in Abuja on Monday as retired police officers under the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria blocked one of the entrances to the Presidential Villa in protest over their pension conditions.
The retirees are demanding the immediate removal of the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), which they described as unfair and incapable of supporting a decent post-service life.
Carrying placards with messages such as “End CPS” and “Police dey work, PenCom dey chop,” the protesters accused the system of neglecting officers who served the country for decades.
They are also calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sign the Police Exit Bill, which was passed by the National Assembly in December 2025 and transmitted to the Presidency in March 2026. The bill seeks to exempt the police from the current pension arrangement.
Speaking during the protest, some retirees expressed frustration over what they described as hardship and poor welfare after retirement.
“We served for 35 years, but today many of us cannot even take care of our families,” said a retired Assistant Superintendent of Police, Nurudeen Dahiru. “We are not here to fight anybody, we are only asking for justice. This pension system is killing us slowly.”
Another retired officer complained about the value of monthly payments under the scheme, saying it was not enough to sustain basic living.
“How can someone who retired at a senior rank be surviving on such little money? It is not fair at all,” he said.
The protest was led by CSP Raphael Irowainu (retd), National Coordinator of the forum, who said the group was at the Villa to press home its demand for presidential assent to the bill.
“Our only request is simple: sign the bill that removes the police from the Contributory Pension Scheme,” he said. “Other security agencies have been exited, so why not the police?”
The demonstration adds to a series of protests by retired police officers in recent months, including earlier actions at the National Assembly and Force Headquarters in Abuja over the same issue.
While previous police leaderships have acknowledged concerns over retirees’ welfare, they have also cautioned that reforms to the pension system require broader policy decisions at the national level.
