The Nigeria Police Force has said it will not obstruct the peaceful protest planned by retired police officers over their pension entitlements, assuring that their rights to public expression will be fully protected.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Force Headquarters clarified its position on the growing agitation, noting that while some narratives surrounding the protest were based on genuine concerns, others were laced with misinformation and political undertones.
The official statement, signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police, stated, “Let it be stated unequivocally that this explanation is not intended to suppress the planned protest. On the contrary, it reflects a leadership that listens, understands, and engages in good faith.”
The protest, scheduled for Monday, July 21, 2025, is expected to take place in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and other state commands where due notification has been given. The Police said adequate security arrangements have been put in place to protect participants and prevent any hijack by political actors or miscreants.
The Force said it remained committed to addressing the root issues driving the protest, particularly the longstanding demand by retired officers to exit the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). It explained that the issue has been a recurring agitation for over a decade and beyond the powers of any serving Inspector-General.
“The hard truth is that exiting the Police from the CPS lies beyond the remit of any Inspector-General, as the matter is deeply woven into a web of statutory mandates, inter-agency protocols, and policy inertia,” the statement read.
To cushion the immediate hardship faced by retirees, the police disclosed that alternative support measures are already being developed. These include deploying internally generated revenues to provide supplementary pension packages and mobilising private sector support for special welfare initiatives.
Reacting to the development, activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, dismissed the police statement as a face-saving tactic, insisting the protest would go ahead as planned.
In a post on social media, Sowore said, “THEY CAN’T STOP US! #PoliceProtest IS ON July 21st, 2025. Now they’re scrambling, issuing statements, summoning spin doctors, locking officers in barracks, trying to explain away decades of injustice.”
He accused the police leadership and the government of lacking sincerity, arguing that their current posture was prompted by fear rather than genuine reform. “They say they care, yet police retirees beg on the streets. They talk of future projections, while pensioners are dying of hunger today,” he said.
Sowore also took a swipe at the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and Tinubu’s administration, alleging continued failure to address the poor welfare of security personnel, both in service and retirement.
While the Police maintained that several groups of retirees had withdrawn their support for the protest after engaging with the IGP, it warned serving officers to stay clear of the protest to avoid disciplinary consequences.
“The Inspector-General of Police charges all officers to note that this protest… must not only be peaceful; it must be exemplary. We must show, by conduct and command, that the Nigeria Police Force is both professional and humane,” the statement added.
