We didn’t teargas Pensioners, viral protest photo AI-generated — Lagos Police

The Lagos State Police Command has debunked reports that members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Lagos State Council, were tear-gassed during their protest on Monday, August 31, 2026.

The Command, in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, described the reports as false and misleading, stressing that no canister of tear gas was fired throughout the protest.

According to the statement, about 500 NUP members staged a peaceful protest at the Lagos State Governor’s Office, Alausa, Ikeja, at about 8:30 a.m. on Monday.

The protesters were led by the NUP Chairman, Comrade Michael Omishade, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Chairperson, Comrade Agnes Funmi Sesse.

The police said operatives from the Rapid Response Squad, Lagos State Taskforce, Eko Strike Force and personnel from divisional headquarters within the area were deployed to maintain law and order and ensure the safety of the protesters and other members of the public.

The security operation was coordinated by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations.

The protesters were subsequently addressed by the Chief of Staff to the Lagos State Governor, Mr Tayo Akinmade Ayinde, after which the NUP executives proceeded to an indoor meeting at the Governor’s Conference Hall.

The meeting, according to the police, lasted about three hours, while the protesters later dispersed peacefully at about 4:30 p.m., with no adverse incident recorded.

The Command also dismissed a photograph circulating on social media which purportedly showed retirees being tear-gassed during the protest.

It described the image as AI-generated and said it did not represent events at the protest venue.

The police urged members of the public to exercise caution and refrain from creating, sharing or amplifying unverified information capable of misleading the public, inciting tension or undermining confidence in the security agencies.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Tijani Fatai, reiterated the Command’s commitment to protecting citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and expression, while ensuring that such activities remain peaceful, orderly and within the law.

He urged residents to rely on verified information from credible and authorised sources and desist from circulating misinformation, manipulated images and unverified posts.