Retired police officers in Imo State, under the umbrella of the Association of Retired Police Officers of Nigeria (ARPON), staged a protest in Owerri on Tuesday, demanding the withdrawal of the Nigeria Police from what they described as the “unfair and deadly” Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
The retirees, who marched to the State Police Headquarters, carried placards bearing inscriptions such as “Retired police officers under CPS are dying in droves” and “Exit is our stand.” They were received by the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Aboki Danjuma.
The demonstrators accused the CPS of inflicting untold hardship and causing deaths among members. They called for the establishment of a dedicated Police Pension Board, similar to that of the military, to ensure fair treatment and adequate welfare after years of service.
Addressing the protesters, the Chairman of the Imo Chapter of ARPON, retired Superintendent of Police Amanze Nwakwue, described the scheme as “obnoxious and inhumane.” He said:
“The CPS has led to the death of many of our members. We are calling on President Bola Tinubu to sign an executive order for our total exit from the scheme.”
Mr Nwakwue questioned why senior officers — including the Inspector-General of Police, Deputy Inspectors-General, and Assistant Inspectors-General — were exempted from the scheme, while those from the rank of Commissioner downwards remained.
“If the scheme is that good, why did the police generals exit it? We want the NPF Pensions Limited scrapped because it was not even registered as a business entity,” he added.
The retirees further urged the Federal Government to pay the ₦758.9 billion pension liabilities bond directly into individual retirees’ accounts, rather than through Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs). They also demanded a debarment allowance comparable to that received by their counterparts in the military.
In his response, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Aboki Danjuma, appealed for calm, assuring the retirees that the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, was aware of their grievances and was taking steps to address them.
“You are our fathers and teachers. The I-G is committed to improving the welfare of retired officers, and your message will be delivered to him,” Danjuma said.
The protest ended peacefully, with the retirees vowing to sustain their agitation until the government approves the police’s complete exit from the contributory pension scheme.
