Retired personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and their families on Monday staged a protest at the Presidential Villa, blocking one of its gates in a renewed push against their continued inclusion in the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
The protesters, operating under the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria (PROF), described the scheme as “fraudulent, illegal, inhumane, and obnoxious,” urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sign the Police Exit Bill into law.
According to the retirees, the proposed legislation, passed by the National Assembly on December 4, 2025, and forwarded to the Presidency on March 16, 2026, seeks to remove police personnel from the CPS framework.
Leading the protest, the National Coordinator of PROF, CSP Raphael Irowainu (retd.), said the demonstration was solely aimed at pressing for presidential assent to the bill.
“Our major aim here is to prevail on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sign our bill, the bill exiting the police from the Contributory Pension Scheme, passed by the National Assembly on 4th December 2025 and transmitted to him on 16th March 2026, into law, nothing more than that,” he said.
Irowainu expressed frustration that while other security agencies have been exempted from the scheme, police personnel remain included.
“The soldiers have been exited, the SSS has been exited, the Air Force has been exited, the Navy has been exited, the National Intelligence Agency has been exited. The police, who are the father of them all, are trapped in this obnoxious Contributory Pension Scheme,” he added.
The retirees argued that the CPS has negatively impacted their welfare, describing it as a “slavery and untimely death-inducing pension scheme.”
This is not the first time retired police officers have taken to protest over the issue. In July 2025, similar demonstrations were held at the National Assembly and the Force Headquarters in Abuja, where pensioners decried poor conditions under the scheme.
Monday’s protest highlights growing discontent among retired police personnel over pension reforms and what they perceive as unequal treatment compared to other security agencies.
What you should know
The protest by retired police officers reflects long-standing grievances over Nigeria’s Contributory Pension Scheme, which they argue has negatively affected their welfare.
While other security agencies have been removed from the scheme, police retirees remain included, fueling claims of unfair treatment. The Police Exit Bill, already passed by the National Assembly, is central to their demands and awaits presidential assent.
The situation underscores broader concerns about pension reforms, equity among security institutions, and the welfare of retired personnel who served in demanding roles across the country.
