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Opinion
Retired Police officers begin Nationwide protest — A Tipping Point for Nigeria
Written By: Louis Odianose Pius
22 Jul 2025 06:18 AM
On July 21, 2025, hundreds of retired police officers under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) took to the streets across Nigeria in a coordinated nationwide protest. From Abuja to Edo, Plateau, Kwara, Taraba, and Cross River, their unified demand echoed across the country: dignity in retirement and an end to a pension system that has left many of them impoverished after decades of service.
In Abuja, retirees marched through the rain toward the National Assembly. Joining them in solidarity was activist Omoyele Sowore, lending his voice to what many now call a national emergency. In Plateau, over 300 retirees peacefully protested. In Kwara, retirees called on President Tinubu to act on police welfare reform promises and bring justice to long-neglected pension issues.
One of the most poignant voices from the protest was that of Mr. Pius, a retired senior police officer. His account reflects the frustrations, sacrifices, and injustices endured by thousands like him:
Interview with Mr. Pius (Retired Police Officer):
What is your current monthly pension?
“I have been receiving 30,000 naira for over six years. Just recently, they added 7,000 naira, so now I receive 37,000 monthly. Meanwhile, the money in my Retirement Savings Account (RSA), according to my records, is over 4 million naira. But they have refused us access to it. Instead, they give us peanuts every month and keep the rest. They won’t release our full savings or even increase our monthly stipend.”
Have you experienced payment delays?
“No delays, but what use is timely payment when what is paid cannot sustain anyone? In this economy, 37,000 can’t even take care of a child’s feeding needs for a month, let alone an elderly man with a family and medical needs.”
How do you compare your experience with military or DSS retirees?
“It is pure injustice. A Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in the police force is equivalent in rank to a captain in the army. But while a military captain retires with over 200,000 naira monthly pension, a police DSP struggles with 37,000. The DSS retirees are doing much better too. We the police retirees are suffering in silence. Worse still, I am still being owed over 500,000 in benefits since I retired, and it has been swept under the carpet. No one is saying anything about it.”
How do you feel after serving Nigeria for 35 years?
“It is regretful, shameful, and deeply sad. I have vowed that none of my children, and even my unborn generations, will serve in the Nigerian police. The experience has been heartbreaking.”
What is your view on the protest?
“I fully support the protest. This is the only way to make Nigerians see and understand the level of pain and humiliation we go through. It is a shame on the nation. We deserve better. We risked our lives for this country.”
His story is just one among many that reveal a deeper, systemic failure.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, met with some protesting officers and acknowledged the validity of their concerns. He assured them that he is not opposed to their exit from the Contributory Pension Scheme, but emphasized that the process requires legislative action. He also warned retirees against being used for political agendas.
The Federal Government and the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) have yet to offer concrete reforms. Currently, PENCOM controls over 14 trillion naira in assets under the CPS, yet police retirees reportedly receive as low as 14,000 to 48,000 naira per month. The structure of CPS only allows retirees to access a fraction of their contributions, with the rest controlled by pension fund administrators. Policemen, unlike their military counterparts, do not enjoy gratuity payments that reflect the danger and stress of their service.
There is a sharp disparity. A military officer of the same rank retires to a life of dignity and adequate pension. Meanwhile, police officers – who also risk their lives – are left battling poverty. Gratuity payments under the old Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) often reached 20–30 million naira, while CPS retirees sometimes receive just 2–3 million total.
This pension crisis is not just a welfare issue – it’s a threat to institutional morale, national security, and public trust. It is unjust to expect service without rewarding sacrifice.
Voices like that of Omoyele Sowore have amplified the protest’s impact, describing it as a "watershed moment in Nigeria’s fight for equity and dignity." In Kwara, Yakubu Jimoh, chairman of the Association of Retired Police Officers, echoed these calls and demanded immediate passage of the Police Pension Board Bill, as well as a release of the over 758 billion naira pension shortfall.
The protest highlights the urgent need for reform. While the Inspector General has opened dialogue, the burden now lies on lawmakers and the presidency to address the injustice.
What began as a call for better pensions has grown into a national awakening. If Nigeria cannot care for those who risked their lives for its safety, then what message is it sending to the future generation?
The time for reform is now.
In Abuja, retirees marched through the rain toward the National Assembly. Joining them in solidarity was activist Omoyele Sowore, lending his voice to what many now call a national emergency. In Plateau, over 300 retirees peacefully protested. In Kwara, retirees called on President Tinubu to act on police welfare reform promises and bring justice to long-neglected pension issues.
One of the most poignant voices from the protest was that of Mr. Pius, a retired senior police officer. His account reflects the frustrations, sacrifices, and injustices endured by thousands like him:
Interview with Mr. Pius (Retired Police Officer):
What is your current monthly pension?
“I have been receiving 30,000 naira for over six years. Just recently, they added 7,000 naira, so now I receive 37,000 monthly. Meanwhile, the money in my Retirement Savings Account (RSA), according to my records, is over 4 million naira. But they have refused us access to it. Instead, they give us peanuts every month and keep the rest. They won’t release our full savings or even increase our monthly stipend.”
Have you experienced payment delays?
“No delays, but what use is timely payment when what is paid cannot sustain anyone? In this economy, 37,000 can’t even take care of a child’s feeding needs for a month, let alone an elderly man with a family and medical needs.”
How do you compare your experience with military or DSS retirees?
“It is pure injustice. A Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in the police force is equivalent in rank to a captain in the army. But while a military captain retires with over 200,000 naira monthly pension, a police DSP struggles with 37,000. The DSS retirees are doing much better too. We the police retirees are suffering in silence. Worse still, I am still being owed over 500,000 in benefits since I retired, and it has been swept under the carpet. No one is saying anything about it.”
How do you feel after serving Nigeria for 35 years?
“It is regretful, shameful, and deeply sad. I have vowed that none of my children, and even my unborn generations, will serve in the Nigerian police. The experience has been heartbreaking.”
What is your view on the protest?
“I fully support the protest. This is the only way to make Nigerians see and understand the level of pain and humiliation we go through. It is a shame on the nation. We deserve better. We risked our lives for this country.”
His story is just one among many that reveal a deeper, systemic failure.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, met with some protesting officers and acknowledged the validity of their concerns. He assured them that he is not opposed to their exit from the Contributory Pension Scheme, but emphasized that the process requires legislative action. He also warned retirees against being used for political agendas.
The Federal Government and the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) have yet to offer concrete reforms. Currently, PENCOM controls over 14 trillion naira in assets under the CPS, yet police retirees reportedly receive as low as 14,000 to 48,000 naira per month. The structure of CPS only allows retirees to access a fraction of their contributions, with the rest controlled by pension fund administrators. Policemen, unlike their military counterparts, do not enjoy gratuity payments that reflect the danger and stress of their service.
There is a sharp disparity. A military officer of the same rank retires to a life of dignity and adequate pension. Meanwhile, police officers – who also risk their lives – are left battling poverty. Gratuity payments under the old Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) often reached 20–30 million naira, while CPS retirees sometimes receive just 2–3 million total.
This pension crisis is not just a welfare issue – it’s a threat to institutional morale, national security, and public trust. It is unjust to expect service without rewarding sacrifice.
Voices like that of Omoyele Sowore have amplified the protest’s impact, describing it as a "watershed moment in Nigeria’s fight for equity and dignity." In Kwara, Yakubu Jimoh, chairman of the Association of Retired Police Officers, echoed these calls and demanded immediate passage of the Police Pension Board Bill, as well as a release of the over 758 billion naira pension shortfall.
The protest highlights the urgent need for reform. While the Inspector General has opened dialogue, the burden now lies on lawmakers and the presidency to address the injustice.
What began as a call for better pensions has grown into a national awakening. If Nigeria cannot care for those who risked their lives for its safety, then what message is it sending to the future generation?
The time for reform is now.
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