Retired police officers plan nationwide protest over pension woes

The Kaduna State chapter of the Union of Retired Police Officers has said the body resolved to embark on a nationwide demonstration dubbed the “Mother of All Peaceful Protests” on July 21, 2025.

The group said the protest is about unresolved pension challenges that retired police officers enrolled in the Contributory Pension Scheme are facing.

The group Chairman, Mannir M. Zaria and Vice Chairman, Danlami Maigamo, made this declaration following their monthly meeting at the Police Officers’ Mess in Kaduna.

The retired officers are demanding the exit of the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme, which they claim has subjected them to untold economic hardship, financial embarrassment, and an alarming rise in depression and deaths among retired personnel.

We have no option but to embark on another peaceful protest tagged ‘Mother of All Peaceful Protests’ on July 21, 2025,” the union declared.

The group emphasised that the demonstration would be peaceful and span all 36 states of the federation.

“As law-abiding citizens, we shall continue to pursue our demand for the Nigeria Police to be excluded from the Contributory Pension Scheme through peaceful means until our voices are heard,” the statement added.

The union recalled an earlier protest held between February 24 and March 3, 2025, at the National Assembly by the Kaduna and Bauchi State chapters, during which petitions were submitted to five key offices, including the chairmen of the relevant Senate and House committees and the Director of the Department of State Services.

However, the retirees expressed deep disappointment over the silence of the National Assembly, especially concerning the outcome of the public hearing on the Police Pension Board Bill held on November 19, 2024.

They also dissociated themselves from any groups plotting violent protests, maintaining that their agitation is rooted in legitimate concerns over welfare and dignity.

“The silence from the authorities is deafening, but we remain committed to lawful engagement,” the group stated.

The union insists that the establishment of an independent Police Pension Board remains the only viable solution to what they described as systemic injustice in the current pension regime.