Retired police officers under the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria have taken their indefinite protest to the National Assembly in Abuja, demanding that President Bola Tinubu sign into law a bill seeking to exempt the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
The protesters, who gathered at the National Assembly gate with family members, accused the Federal Government of delaying action on the proposed pension reform despite its passage by the National Assembly.
The retirees are demanding an end to their participation in the CPS, which they have repeatedly described as exploitative and inadequate for officers who served the country for decades.
A video obtained by SaharaReporters showed the protesters wearing matching blue T-shirts and face caps as they marched towards the National Assembly gate, carrying banners and placards while chanting, “President Bola Tinubu, sign our bill.”
The demonstration represents another escalation in the retirees’ campaign to secure presidential assent to the Police Exit Bill.
Retired Police Officers Intensify Protest Over Pension Bill
The latest demonstration followed a protest at the headquarters of the National Pension Commission (PenCom) in Abuja, where the retirees reportedly occupied the premises for approximately seven hours on Monday.
According to SaharaReporters, the protesters demanded that PenCom Director-General Omolola Oloworaran stop opposing or interfering with the bill, which they said had already been passed by the National Assembly.
A protester told SaharaReporters that the commission’s secretary and legal adviser, Hon. Mohamed Sani, addressed the demonstrators on behalf of the director-general.
“He said that we should be calm that the DG is working hard to improve their retirement benefits,” the protester said.
However, the retirees maintained that improvements to their existing benefits would not satisfy their demands, insisting that they wanted the Nigeria Police Force removed entirely from the contributory pension arrangement.
They also urged PenCom officials to stop interfering with the process of securing presidential assent to the bill.
Why Police Retirees Want to Leave the Contributory Pension Scheme
The leader and national coordinator of the forum, CSP Raphael I. Irowainu (retd.), said the ongoing demonstrations were intended to pressure Tinubu into signing the bill, which he said was passed by the National Assembly on December 4, 2025.
Irowainu alleged that the pension arrangement had left many retired police officers struggling to survive after years of service.
According to him, the contributory pension scheme was introduced in 2004, but the military, Department of State Services, National Intelligence Agency and National Assembly were subsequently exempted following protests over pension-related concerns.
He argued that police officers had been left under the scheme despite the Nigeria Police Force’s central role in maintaining internal security.
“The major crux of our agitation is for the Nigerian Police Force to be exempted from the slavery and exploitative Contributory Pension Scheme,” Irowainu said.
The retired officer further alleged that the lump-sum payments and monthly pensions received by former police personnel were insufficient to meet their financial and medical needs.
Retirees Disclose Alleged Pension Payments Across Police Ranks
Irowainu cited figures that he said illustrated the pension challenges confronting retired police officers.
According to the figures he provided, retired assistant superintendents of police receive lump-sum payments of approximately ₦2.1 million to ₦2.5 million, alongside monthly pensions of about ₦25,000.
He said retired deputy superintendents allegedly receive between ₦2.2 million and ₦2.4 million as lump sums, with monthly pensions of approximately ₦30,000.
Retired superintendents, he claimed, receive between ₦2.5 million and ₦2.8 million, with monthly payments ranging from ₦35,000 to ₦40,000. Chief superintendents allegedly receive about ₦3.5 million as a lump sum and monthly pensions of between ₦39,000 and ₦45,000.
For senior officers, Irowainu said retired assistant commissioners of police receive between ₦5 million and ₦6 million, with monthly pensions of approximately ₦50,000 to ₦57,000.
He put the alleged lump-sum payments for retired deputy commissioners at between ₦6 million and ₦7 million, with monthly pensions of about ₦60,000.
Retired commissioners of police, he added, allegedly receive between ₦7 million and ₦9 million as lump sums and monthly pensions of between ₦90,000 and ₦100,000.
“These are what they are paying us. And that is why I said, Nigerian Police is the lead internal security of this country as expressed in Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended,” he said.
The figures were presented by the forum’s leader and have not been independently verified in this report.
Police Retirees Allege Delays in Transmitting Bill to Tinubu
Irowainu said the retirees began protesting over the pension issue in September 2025 and alleged that the bill’s transmission to the President was delayed for several months after its passage.
He claimed that although the National Assembly passed the bill on December 4, 2025, it was not transmitted to Tinubu until March 16, 2026.
According to him, the retirees subsequently staged demonstrations at the Presidential Villa in April after the President had not assented to the bill.
He said the group suspended its protest after receiving assurances that the matter would be addressed, but alleged that no concrete action followed.
Irowainu also said an intervention by the Inspector-General of Police in August failed to resolve the dispute.
“From 6th of August till on the 29th of September that we resumed this protest again, nothing was done, that’s why we reactivated the protest,” he said.
The forum’s leader added that the retirees visited the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Police Affairs during their renewed demonstrations.
Forum Claims More Than 20 Retirees Died Within Six Months
The pension dispute has also raised concerns about the welfare of former police officers, with Irowainu alleging that more than 20 members of the forum died within six months after struggling to afford medical treatment.
“The police in the last six months, we have lost over 20 retirees as a result of lack of fund to take care of their medical needs,” he alleged.
He said the forum was compiling the names of the deceased members for publication.
The allegation has not been independently verified, and no supporting records were provided in the account.
Irowainu also argued that inadequate retirement benefits could affect the morale of serving police officers, alleging that concerns about financial security after retirement contributed to misconduct among some personnel.
He claimed that some officers resorted to extortion and intimidation to obtain money, although the allegation does not establish that pension concerns are the cause of such conduct.
The retirees maintain that improved retirement benefits are important to the welfare of police personnel and the country’s wider internal security system.
Retirees Accuse PenCom Officials of Opposing Police Exit Bill
Irowainu alleged that PenCom officials had opposed the proposal to remove the police from the CPS.
He referred to comments he attributed to PenCom Director-General Omolola Oloworaran during a National Assembly public hearing, claiming that she had argued against the proposed exemption and warned of possible implications for the Nigerian economy.
He also alleged that officials of the commission benefited from the existing pension arrangement. However, no independent evidence was provided to substantiate that allegation.
The claims remain those of the protesting retirees. PenCom’s position and any formal response from the commission would be necessary to establish its full account of the dispute.
“It is an injustice that we will never accept,” Irowainu said.
Police Retirees Vow to Continue Demonstrations
The forum’s leader said the protesters would continue their demonstrations until Tinubu assented to the bill or the government otherwise addressed their concerns.
He had earlier announced plans to take the campaign to additional government institutions and other locations.
“Tomorrow, October 7, by the grace of God, we are going to the Ministry of Finance. From Ministry of Finance, we are going to Police Service Commission, we are going to US Embassy,” he said.
He added that the forum had identified 10 locations for the planned demonstrations, including the international airport.
The latest protest follows an earlier SaharaReporters report published on October 6, in which the retirees vowed to sustain their indefinite demonstration until the President acted on the proposed exemption.
Irowainu had said the renewed protest began on September 29, warning that the pension dispute could have wider implications for the welfare of serving and retired police officers.
The protesters are calling on the Federal Government to resolve the impasse and provide clarity on the bill’s status.
For the retirees, the central demand remains the removal of the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme and the introduction of retirement arrangements they consider more adequate for officers who have served the country.
As the demonstrations continue, the status of the bill and the President’s decision on whether to assent to it remain central to the dispute.