Hundreds of retired Nigerian police officers on Thursday laid siege to the National Assembly complex in Abuja, blocking all entry and exit points to press home their demand for removal from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
The visibly aggrieved retirees, chanting solidarity songs, vowed that no lawmaker or staff member would be allowed into the legislative premises until the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, personally addressed their grievances.
“Nobody will enter the National Assembly today. The Senate President was here just now but refused to come out and meet us. Enough is enough!” one of the protesters declared passionately.
The retirees accused the federal government of neglect, unpaid pensions, and poor welfare after years of dedicated service to the nation. They decried the CPS as exploitative and unfair, describing it as a “wicked scheme” that has plunged many former officers into poverty.
According to them, after 35 years of service, some retired Assistant Superintendents of Police receive as little as ₦1.5 million to ₦3 million in retirement benefits — a figure they described as “insulting and dehumanizing.”
CSP Rafael (rtd), National Coordinator of the Retired Police Officers’ Association, lamented that the police remain the only security agency still trapped in the CPS while others — including the military, Department of State Services (DSS), and National Intelligence Agency (NIA) — enjoy more beneficial pension systems.
“We are over 350,000 strong in the Nigerian Police, yet we are treated as beggars. This injustice must stop. Our demand is simple — total exit from this fraudulent scheme,” he said.
The retirees warned that the government’s continued neglect of their welfare could demoralize serving officers, posing risks to national security.
“If those serving now see how we’re treated, they will lose faith in the system. That’s dangerous for national security,” one protester warned.
Wives of retired officers also joined the demonstration, lamenting hardship and humiliation faced by their families. They accused officials of corruption and sexual exploitation during pension processing.
“Before they release our husbands’ gratuities, some officials demand sexual favours from us or our daughters. It is wickedness of the highest order,” one of the women lamented tearfully.
The protesters insisted they would not leave the National Assembly until their demands were met.
“We are not leaving here until justice is done. Our children are suffering. Remove retired policemen from the Contributory Pension Scheme now,” another protester declared.
This latest protest follows several demonstrations by the group in recent months. They had earlier besieged the National Assembly on September 29 but rescheduled their action due to the lawmakers’ recess.
The retirees vowed to continue the protest until President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly take decisive action to remove the Nigeria Police from the Contributory Pension Scheme, which they described as a “government-orchestrated instrument of suffering.”
