Retired Police Officers protest, block Presidential villa gate
Retired personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and their families staged a demonstration on Monday, blocking a primary entrance to the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The protesters are demanding an immediate end to their mandatory participation in the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
Operating under the banner of the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria (PROF), the demonstrators characterized the current pension system as fraudulent, illegal, and inhumane.
They specifically called upon President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sign the Police Exit Bill into law to rectify their grievances.
The legislation in question was passed by the National Assembly on December 4, 2025, and officially forwarded to the Presidency on March 16, 2026. If signed, the bill would formally remove police personnel from the CPS framework.
CSP Raphael Irowainu (retd.), the National Coordinator of PROF, led the group and emphasized that the protest was a direct appeal for executive action.
“Our primary objective is to urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sign the bill exiting the police from the Contributory Pension Scheme. This bill was passed by the National Assembly in December and transmitted to his office in March. We are asking for nothing more than its enactment into law," Irowainu stated.
Irowainu highlighted a perceived double standard in how security agencies are treated regarding retirement benefits.
He noted that the military, the State Security Service (SSS), the Air Force, the Navy, and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) have all been granted exits from the scheme.
“The police, who serve as the foundation of national security, remain trapped in this oppressive Contributory Pension Scheme,” he added.
The retirees argued that the CPS has severely compromised their well-being, with some labeling it a slavery-like system that contributes to the untimely death of senior citizens due to financial hardship.
This protest follows a series of similar actions, including a demonstration at the National Assembly in July 2025 and various gatherings at Force Headquarters in Abuja.
Many of the elderly retirees present decried the meager payouts provided under the current system, which they claim are insufficient to meet basic living costs after 35 years of service.
Monday’s standoff at the Villa underscores the deepening frustration among retired police officers who feel marginalized compared to their counterparts in other branches of the armed and intelligence services.