A retired police officer collapsed on Thursday at the National Assembly complex in Abuja as hundreds of former members of the Nigeria Police Force staged a massive protest over the non-payment of their pensions and other entitlements, years after leaving active service.
The protesters, many of them elderly and visibly weak, occupied the main entrance of the National Assembly with placards and banners bearing inscriptions such as “We Are Dying in Silence,” “Pay Us Our Pensions,” and “35 Years of Service, Nothing to Show.”
The demonstration, which temporarily disrupted movement within the complex, saw the ex-officers chanting solidarity songs and accusing the Federal Government of abandoning them to “die in poverty and shame.”
Eyewitnesses told SaharaReporters that one of the retirees, believed to be in his late 70s, suddenly slumped while chanting alongside his colleagues. He was immediately attended to by fellow protesters and security personnel, before being revived after receiving first aid.
The retirees, operating under the aegis of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) Police Retirees Association, lamented that despite dedicating over three decades to national service, they had been subjected to severe hardship due to what they described as “the wickedness and neglect of the Nigerian state.”
They demanded to be removed from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) — which they claimed has impoverished them — and reinstated into the old Defined Benefits Scheme, which they said provided better post-retirement welfare and stability.
In October, human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, had joined the retired police officers at a similar protest at the same venue, also demanding the scrapping of the CPS.
The protesters had described the scheme as a “fraudulent arrangement” that left them destitute after years of loyal service to the country.
Sowore, who stood in solidarity with the retirees, vowed to continue supporting their cause, condemning what he termed the government’s inhumane treatment of pensioners.
“I’m not just fighting for the police; I’m fighting with retired policemen. You started this struggle, and I’ll continue to support you,” Sowore told the protesters.
He criticized the political class for living in luxury while pensioners and civil servants languish in poverty, calling for unity among all retirees across the nation’s security and civil services.
“Everyone should be here — from Customs, Immigration, Civil Defence, DSS, and even the civil service — because they all face the same injustice,” he said.
The protesters vowed to continue their agitation until the Federal Government addresses their demands and ensures justice for all retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme.