Retired police officers protest low pension, demand exit from contributory scheme

Retired police officers took to the streets in Ibadan on Thursday, protesting what they described as grossly inadequate retirement benefits and demanding that the police be removed from the Contributory Pension Scheme administered by the National Pension Commission.

The retirees staged their demonstration at the Oyo State Police Headquarters in Eleyele, decrying a pension system they said leaves officers financially stranded after decades of service — with some receiving as little as N1.5 million in retirement benefits after 35 years.

A retired Superintendent of Police, Joseph Alabi, said the monthly pension he receives is barely enough to survive on.

“As a retired SP, I receive about N70,000 monthly, which is challenging for basic upkeep and family responsibilities,” he said, adding that retirees had been raising the issue for over two years without a satisfactory response.

Alabi also questioned the rationale for keeping the police in the contributory pension scheme while other security agencies have been exempted.

“Air Force, Navy, military and other agencies have been removed from this scheme, but the police are still there,” he said, urging President Bola Tinubu to assent to a bill already passed by the National Assembly that would allow the police to exit the scheme and establish a dedicated pension structure.

“All we are asking is for the President to assent to the bill so that we can have a system that caters to both retired and serving officers,” Alabi said.

A retired Deputy Superintendent of Police, Omotayo Salaudeen, who served for 35 years, said his exit package was an affront to his years of sacrifice.

“How can someone serve for 35 years and receive about N1.5m or N2m? It is difficult to manage under such conditions,” he said, appealing for public sympathy and government intervention.

A retired electrical engineer, Babatunde Oluwatoye, who joined the protest in solidarity, warned that the poor welfare conditions of police retirees had broader implications for national security.

“When officers are adequately supported, it can positively impact their performance. Concerns about retirement conditions may affect motivation among serving personnel,” he said.

The Ibadan protest is part of a wider wave of demonstrations by retired police officers across the country, with similar actions previously held in Abuja. The retirees vowed to continue pressing their demands through lawful means until the government acts.