• Demand signing, implementation pension exit bill
• The bill seeks to remove the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), passed by the National Assembly on December 4, 2025, and later transmitted to the Presidency on March 16, 2026.
Tension gripped the nation’s seat of power on Monday as hundreds of retired police officers and their family members staged a protest at the Presidential Villa, blocking one of the main gates of Aso Rock while demanding that President Bola Tinubu immediately assent to the Police Exit Bill.
The aggrieved retirees, who converged under the aegis of the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria (PROF), said their action was borne out of years of neglect, hardship, and what they described as a fraudulent, illegal, inhumane and obnoxious pension system.
The bill in question, which seeks to remove the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), was passed by the National Assembly on December 4, 2025, and later transmitted to the Presidency on March 16, 2026.
However, the President is yet to sign it into law, a delay that has fuelled anger among retired officers.
Meanwhile, the elderly protesters occupied the entrance of the Villa early in the day, chanting solidarity songs and holding placards with inscriptions such as “Police dey work, PenCom dey chop” and “Tinubu, sign our bill now.”
Security operatives, including armed police officers and personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS), quickly moved to the scene and blocked the protesters from gaining access into the premises.
Despite repeated attempts by security officials to disperse or calm them, the retirees refused to budge.
The protesters, visibly frustrated, vowed not to leave the area until President Tinubu personally addresses them.
“We are not going anywhere until the President comes out to speak to us,” one of the retirees declared, drawing loud cheers from the crowd.
Another protester, speaking emotionally, lamented the dire living conditions many retired officers have been subjected to under the CPS.
“They have already killed us with this system,” he said. “Mr President, the suffering is too much. Our children cannot go to school. There is no one to help us. We served this country for 35 good years, and at the end they gave us just N1 million and put us on a pension of N30,000. How do we survive?”
He added, “Mr President, come to our side and see what we are going through.”
The crowd echoed similar sentiments, insisting that only the President’s direct intervention would resolve their plight.
“It is Tinubu we want to see. Where is the President? We are not going anywhere,” another protester shouted.
Despite efforts by both police and DSS officials to persuade them to vacate the entrance, the retirees stood their ground, insisting that they would not leave until their demands are met.
In a unified chant, the protesters repeatedly shouted: “President Tinubu, sign our bill!”
The Contributory Pension Scheme, managed by the National Pension Commission (PenCom), has long been a subject of controversy among retired police personnel, who argue that it does not adequately cater to the peculiar risks and service conditions of officers.
Many of the retirees accuse the system of subjecting them to poverty and indignity after decades of service to the nation, with some claiming they receive meagre monthly pensions that are insufficient to meet basic needs.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official response from the Presidency regarding the protest or the status of the Police Exit Bill.