A group of retired police officers staged a protest at the National Assembly complex in Abuja on Monday, demanding the immediate removal of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) from the contributory pension scheme (CPS).
Chanting protest songs and wielding placards, the elderly demonstrators decried what they described as years of neglect under the CPS. They called for full exemption from the scheme—an issue they have repeatedly raised in recent years.
The protest prompted a noticeable security presence and is expected to continue at the force headquarters in coming days.
Under the current pension structure in Nigeria, the CPS requires joint monthly contributions from both employers and employees. While the scheme covers the police, it notably excludes members of the armed forces, intelligence agencies, and secret services—an imbalance that protesters argue is discriminatory and unjust.
Several retired officers lamented the inadequacy of their monthly pension stipends, saying they are unable to meet basic living expenses despite decades of public service.
The protest came just a day after the Police Service Commission (PSC) appealed for calm. In a statement on Sunday, PSC spokesperson Ani Ikechukwu described the demonstration as “ill-advised and ill-timed”, assuring that steps are being taken to address the retirees’ concerns.
This latest protest adds to growing public discourse around pension reform in Nigeria, particularly the long-standing demand for the police to be exempted from the CPS.
