IGP Orders Tight Security Nationwide as Retired Police Officers Set for Protest Over Pension Entitlements
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has directed all Commissioners of Police (CPs) across Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to ensure maximum security and maintain public order during the scheduled peaceful protest by retired police officers on Monday.
This directive was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Olumuyiwa Adejobi.
According to the statement, the IGP emphasised
that the rights of retired officers to peacefully express their grievances must be protected and respected.
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“The IGP has ordered that the rights of our retired officers who have chosen to protest must be protected, and the protest should serve as a model of dignified expression of grievance,” Adejobi noted.
He further warned against the spread of misinformation surrounding the protest, revealing that some individuals were attempting to exploit the situation to discredit the Federal Government and undermine the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
Adejobi clarified that the core demand of the retired officers — to exit the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) — is not a new agitation. He noted that successive IGPs have expressed support for their cause but acknowledged that resolving the matter has been complicated by statutory, inter-agency, and fiscal constraints.
“It is disheartening to observe how certain actors have chosen to politicise a sensitive welfare issue, weaponising the legitimate grievances of our retired colleagues for ulterior motives,” Adejobi added.
The IGP instructed all CPs to ensure that the protest proceeds peacefully and in a well-coordinated manner, especially in states where formal notifications had been submitted. He emphasised the need to prevent the protest from being hijacked by miscreants, political actors, or individuals unconnected to the police force.
Egbetokun also charged the CPs to treat the protesting retirees with utmost respect and dignity, while deploying sufficient intelligence and operational resources to maintain law and order, protect lives and property, and uphold the integrity of the police institution.
Meanwhile, the police spokesman appealed to the retirees to ensure that their demonstrations remain peaceful and orderly.