Police Retirees Fix June 29 For Fresh Nationwide Protest Over Pensions, Demand Tinubu’s Assent To Police Exit Bill

Former Officers Renew Call for Withdrawal from Contributory Pension Scheme, Describe Current System as Unjust and Inadequate

Retired police officers under the aegis of the Police Retired Officers Forum (PROF) have announced plans to stage a fresh nationwide protest on June 29, 2026, as pressure mounts on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sign the Nigeria Police Force Pension Board Bill, popularly known as the Police Exit Bill, into law.

The announcement was made by the National Coordinator of PROF, retired Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Raphael Irowainu, in a protest notice issued on Sunday. The planned demonstration is the latest in a series of actions by retired officers seeking the removal of personnel of the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), which they have consistently criticised as unfair and detrimental to the welfare of both serving and retired officers.

The retirees had earlier issued a deadline, urging President Tinubu to assent to the bill before June 22, 2026, warning that failure to do so would trigger renewed protests across the country. The proposed legislation, which has already been passed by both chambers of the National Assembly and transmitted to the Presidency for assent, seeks to exempt police personnel from the provisions of the Pension Reform Act 2014 and establish an independent pension management structure for the force.

According to the retired officers, the current pension arrangement has left many former personnel struggling financially after decades of service to the nation. They claim that numerous retirees receive lump-sum benefits ranging between ₦3 million and ₦4 million, while monthly pension payments often fall between ₦30,000 and ₦50,000. The group has repeatedly described the Contributory Pension Scheme as “inhumane,” “fraudulent,” and incapable of guaranteeing a dignified retirement for police personnel.

PROF further argues that the continued inclusion of police officers in the CPS amounts to discrimination, noting that other security and intelligence agencies, including the Armed Forces, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), have already been exempted from the scheme. According to the group, the disparity has negatively affected morale within the force and undermined confidence in the nation’s retirement welfare system.

If signed into law, the Nigeria Police Force Pension Board Bill will establish a dedicated Nigeria Police Force Pension Board responsible for administering the pensions of police personnel independently of the National Pension Commission (PenCom). The proposed framework is expected to provide a more robust retirement package, with eligible retirees entitled to up to 85 per cent of their total active emoluments as pension benefits.

The latest protest follows a similar demonstration staged in Abuja in April 2026, during which retired police officers marched through the Three Arms Zone and blocked access to Gate 8 of the Presidential Villa while demanding presidential assent to the bill. Led by retired CSP Raphael Irowainu, the protesters carried placards and accused the government of subjecting police retirees to an unjust pension regime.

Speaking during the April demonstration, Irowainu maintained that the group’s principal demand remained the immediate signing of the Police Exit Bill. He argued that while personnel of other security agencies had been removed from the Contributory Pension Scheme, police officers continued to operate under what he described as an inequitable arrangement.

The retired officers insist that the passage and implementation of the proposed law would not only improve the welfare of former personnel but also restore confidence among serving officers. They maintain that exempting the Nigeria Police Force from the CPS would free officers from what they describe as a “slavery and untimely death-inducing pension scheme” and ensure a more secure and dignified retirement for those who dedicate their careers to national security.