![The ongoing police pension protest in Abuja [Photo Credit: Olukayode Jaiyeola]](https://crediblenewsng.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/f57a09a9-2bd3-4ffc-8be8-0f1cda00c494.jpeg)
Dozens of retired police officers staged a protest at the National Assembly gate in Abuja on Monday to demand their removal from the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS.
The demonstration, marked by chants, placards, and emotional appeals, highlighted the growing frustration among elderly law enforcement veterans who say they have been abandoned in retirement.
The protest, held under grey skies and heavy rainfall, did not deter the determined group of mostly senior citizens, some of whom are in their 60s and 70s.
Many of the retirees held up signs calling the CPS “exploitative,” “inhumane,” and “unjust,” while others sang solidarity songs, urging lawmakers to address their plight.
Leading the protest was retired Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP Manir Lawal, who made a passionate plea to the government to exempt retired police officers from the current pension model. “We are here to ask the government to remove us from the CPS,” he said.
“The pension scheme is exploitative and unjust. I am 67 years old. Many of us here are in our 60s and 70s. We have served this country faithfully and deserve to retire in dignity.”
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Lawal lamented the harsh financial realities the group faces under the scheme, noting that many retirees have been left impoverished and without adequate support.
“This scheme has impoverished us. It is our right to demand better,” he said. “We were promised security in retirement, but instead, we are left to suffer.”
The CPS, which pools pension contributions from both employees and employers into a Retirement Savings Account managed by private Pension Fund Administrators, has faced criticism for delays in payments, low disbursements, and lack of transparency.
Retired police officers have consistently argued that the system does not adequately account for the hazardous nature of their service or the sacrifices made during their active years.
Despite the rain, the retirees stood their ground, refusing to disperse until their grievances were acknowledged.
Security operatives were present at the scene, closely monitoring the protest to maintain peace and prevent disruption to National Assembly activities.
Punch Newspaper
