Retired personnel of the Nigeria Police Force on Monday staged a protest at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, blocking one of the main gates while demanding their exit from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
The protesters, under the umbrella of the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria (PROF), described the pension scheme as “fraudulent, illegal, inhumane and obnoxious,” and urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to assent to the long-awaited Police Exit Bill.
The bill, which was passed by the National Assembly on December 4, 2025, and transmitted to the Presidency on March 16, 2026, seeks to remove police personnel from the CPS framework.
Leading the demonstration, PROF National Coordinator, CSP Raphael Irowainu (retd.), said the protest was aimed at pressing home their demand for presidential assent to the legislation.
“Our major aim here is to prevail on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sign our bill exiting the police from the Contributory Pension Scheme into law,” he said.
Irowainu lamented that while other security agencies have been removed from the scheme, retired police officers remain under what he described as an unjust system.
He claimed that personnel of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, Department of State Services and National Intelligence Agency had already been exited from the scheme, leaving only the police.
According to the retirees, the CPS has severely impacted their welfare, which they described as “dehumanising and unsustainable,” insisting that the system has contributed to hardship among retired officers.
Monday’s protest adds to a series of similar demonstrations by retired police officers. In July 2025, they staged a protest at the National Assembly demanding the same exit from the pension scheme, while others had earlier expressed grievances at the Force Headquarters in Abuja over poor retirement benefits.
Security around the Presidential Villa was tightened as the protest continued, with the retirees vowing to sustain their agitation until their demands are addressed.
Elijah Adeyemi
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