Tension rose at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa on Monday as retired police officers staged a protest at one of its main gates, demanding immediate action from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the long-awaited Police Exit Bill.
The protesters, made up of elderly retirees and some of their family members, blocked access to the gate early in the day, disrupting movement and drawing the attention of security operatives stationed at the Villa.
The demonstration was organised by the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria, with participants expressing years of frustration over what they described as an unfair pension system.
According to them, the current structure has left many former officers struggling to survive despite dedicating decades of service to the country.
At the centre of their demand is the Police Exit Bill, which seeks to remove the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme. The bill was passed by the National Assembly in December 2025 and forwarded to the Presidency in March 2026 but is yet to be signed into law.
Carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs, the protesters voiced their grievances. Some of the inscriptions read, “Police dey work, PenCom dey chop” and “Tinubu, sign our bill now.”
The situation remained tense as the retirees insisted they would not leave without hearing directly from the President.
Security personnel, including police officers and operatives of the Department of State Services, quickly secured the area and prevented the protesters from moving further into the Villa. Despite repeated appeals, the demonstrators refused to disperse.
“We are not going anywhere until the President comes out to speak to us,” one of the retirees said.
Another protester spoke emotionally about their condition: “They have already killed us with this system. Mr President, the suffering is too much. Our children cannot go to school. There is no one to help us. We served this country for 35 good years, and at the end they gave us just N1 million and put us on a pension of N30,000. How do we survive?”
He added, “Mr President, come to our side and see what we are going through.”
The protesters also criticised the National Pension Commission (PenCom), arguing that the contributory pension scheme does not reflect the realities and risks of police service. They said many retirees are now living in poverty, with monthly payments that cannot meet basic needs.
Despite efforts to restore calm, the protesters held their ground, repeatedly chanting, “President Tinubu, sign our bill!”
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official response from the Presidency regarding the protest or the status of the bill.
