Retired Nigerian police officers, alongside their wives and children, have taken to the streets of Abuja to demand the removal of the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
The protesters are calling for the implementation of a separate pension arrangement for retired police personnel, arguing that the current system has left many former officers struggling after years of service to the country.
During the demonstration, one retired police officer expressed frustration over what he described as a different approach to the welfare of retired police personnel compared with other security agencies.
“This nation really needs truth. Nigerian soldiers, once they complain, the government will solve their problems, but the Nigerian police own is now different. We have become a liability,” the retired officer said.
The protest is connected to a wider campaign by the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria (PROF), which has repeatedly demanded the exit of police personnel from the CPS.
Retired officers have been pressing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to assent to the Police Exit Bill passed by the National Assembly. The legislation seeks to remove the police from the contributory pension arrangement and establish a separate pension structure for the force.
The retirees have previously argued that other security agencies have received different pension arrangements, while retired police officers remain under the CPS. They say the disparity has contributed to dissatisfaction among former personnel and their families.
The campaign has continued despite several government interventions. In July, the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs said a committee had been established to review police allowances and address outstanding pension arrears, death benefits, health benefits and other welfare-related entitlements.
More recently, the Nigeria Police Force Pensions Limited said the Federal Government was working on measures aimed at improving the take-home pay of retired police officers under the existing CPS. The pension administrator said the matter was being handled by a presidential committee established to address concerns surrounding police retirees’ income.
However, the retired officers have continued to insist that improved payments under the existing arrangement are not enough, maintaining that their primary demand is complete removal from the CPS.
The Police Retired Officers Forum had earlier announced the reactivation of an indefinite national peaceful protest beginning September 29 over the continued inclusion of the police in the pension scheme. The group said the decision followed the failure to secure a lasting resolution to the issue after earlier assurances.
The Abuja demonstration therefore adds to a months-long dispute over the pension structure for retired police personnel, with the retirees continuing to call for legislative action and a separate pension arrangement.
