‘We Have Turned Beggars After 35 Years Of Service’ — Retired Police Officers Protest At National Assembly
By Passman Akpos
Retired police officers from across the country on Thursday stormed the National Assembly complex in Abuja to protest the non-payment of their pensions and gratuities, lamenting that many of them have been reduced to beggars despite dedicating over three decades to serving Nigeria.
The retirees, under the aegis of the Concerned Retired Police Officers of Nigeria (CROPON), carried placards with inscriptions such as “Pay Us Our Pensions,” “35 Years of Service, Nothing to Show,” and “We Deserve Better Treatment.”
Speaking during the protest, the group’s spokesperson, Retired Inspector Musa Ibrahim, said many of their members who retired between 2012 and 2020 have not been captured in the pension scheme, leaving them to struggle for survival.
> “We have turned beggars after 35 years of meritorious service to this country. Some of our colleagues have died waiting for their entitlements. We are tired of empty promises,” Ibrahim said.
He urged President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the National Assembly to intervene urgently and direct the Pension Commission (PENCOM) and the Police Pension Board to release their long overdue payments.
Another protester, Retired ASP Grace Okon, decried the poor treatment of ex-officers, saying many of them can no longer afford basic medical care or shelter.
> “We fought crime and protected lives for years. Now we are abandoned. This is not the honourable retirement we were promised,” she lamented.
Security operatives stationed at the National Assembly gates monitored the protest as the retirees sang solidarity songs and demanded to meet with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, or the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.
Lawmakers were later seen addressing the protesters, assuring them that their grievances would be presented to the appropriate committees for action.
The protest comes amid growing concerns about the welfare of retired security personnel in Nigeria, with advocacy groups calling for a total overhaul of the pension administration system to ensure fairness and accountability.
