Tension Looms As Ex-Police Officers Mobilize For Mass Protest In Abuja

The Union of Retired Police Officers under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) has announced plans to stage a peaceful protest at the National Assembly on Monday to demand improved pension benefits.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Kaduna State chapter chairman, CSP Mannir Lawal Zaria (rtd.), said the decision was prompted by the unbearable hardship members are currently facing.

According to him, many retired officers are battling poverty, lack of access to healthcare, inability to afford daily meals, withdrawal of children from school, and rising deaths among colleagues.

Zaria disclosed that delegates from Kaduna would join counterparts from the 35 other states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to march on the National Assembly in Abuja.

He explained that the resolution followed a virtual meeting of the union on September 22, 2025, where members renewed their long-standing demand for the removal of the Nigeria Police Force from the CPS.

“For over 15 years, we have consistently petitioned the government, staged protests, and submitted memoranda to lawmakers,” Zaria noted.

He recalled that the agitation had triggered three separate public hearings, during which lawmakers were presented with evidence highlighting the disparity between the meagre pensions received by retired police officers under the CPS and the robust packages enjoyed by their counterparts in the military and the Department of State Services (DSS).

“Despite the awareness of lawmakers about our plight, no meaningful action has been taken to address these issues,” he lamented.

Court Rejects IGP’s Arrest Warrant Request

Meanwhile, Justice Halilu Yusuf of the Federal Capital Territory High Court has turned down a request by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to issue arrest warrants against five retired senior police officers accused of falsifying their age records to unlawfully extend their service years.

The accused are AIG Idowu Owohunwa (rtd.), CP Benneth Igweh (rtd.), CP Ukachi Peter Opara (rtd.), DCP Obo Ukam Obo (rtd.), and ACP Simon A. Lough, SAN (rtd.), who are facing a 14-count charge bordering on forgery and age falsification.

During Thursday’s hearing, police prosecutor Ezekiel Rimamasonte expressed displeasure over their absence in court despite claims that they had been served, and urged the court to issue arrest warrants.

However, defence counsel Terkaa Aondo (SAN) argued that the defendants had not been properly served as required by law, stressing that criminal charges must be personally delivered.

After listening to both sides, Justice Yusuf rejected the IGP’s request, ruling that the police must ensure due service of the charges before seeking arrest warrants.