Retired personnel of the Nigeria Police Force on Monday blocked a gate leading to the Presidential Villa in Abuja, demanding that President Bola Tinubu sign the Police Exit Bill and remove serving and retired officers from the Contributory Pension Scheme. Protesters said the scheme had subjected police retirees to hardship and left them worse off than counterparts in other security agencies.
The demonstrators, who gathered under the aegis of the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria, described the CPS as “fraudulent, illegal, inhumane and obnoxious.” They said the protest was aimed solely at pressing the president to assent to legislation passed by the National Assembly on December 4, 2025, and transmitted to the Presidency on March 16, 2026. If signed, the bill would exempt police personnel from the current pension framework.
Leading the protest, the forum’s national coordinator, retired CSP Raphael Irowainu, said police officers had been unfairly left behind while other security and intelligence agencies had already been removed from the scheme. According to him, the police — despite their central role in internal security — remain trapped in a pension structure retirees believe has become unbearable. He argued that the bill offers a lawful way to correct what they see as years of injustice.
The protest lasted for several hours, with retirees and some family members blocking access around one of the villa gates from roughly mid-morning to early afternoon. Some demonstrators also warned that failure to sign the bill could have political consequences, saying retired officers and their families would remember the issue in future elections.
This is not the first time retired police officers have taken to the streets over the pension issue. Similar demonstrations were held in 2025 at the National Assembly and other locations in Abuja, reflecting a long-running grievance over the welfare of former officers. The protesters maintain that the CPS has left many retirees impoverished and unable to meet basic needs after decades of service.
The renewed protest adds pressure on the Tinubu administration at a time when questions over pay, pensions and welfare are growing across the public sector. For the retired officers, however, the issue is more immediate and personal: they say the bill is not just about policy, but about dignity, survival and recognition for those who spent their working lives in service to the country
