Retired police officers under the umbrella of the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria (PROF) have announced plans for a nationwide peaceful protest to press President Bola Tinubu to assent to the bill seeking the removal of the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
The retirees said they would sustain their campaign until the President signs what they described as the “Total Exit Bill,” arguing that the current pension scheme has left thousands of former police officers in poverty and unable to meet basic needs after retirement.
In a letter dated July 3, 2026, and addressed to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the forum appealed to the police chief to personally intervene with President Tinubu, noting that the legislation had already been passed by both chambers of the National Assembly.
The planned protest, tagged “No Retreat, No Surrender,” is expected to intensify pressure on the Federal Government over the welfare of retired police personnel.
The letter, signed by the forum’s National Coordinator, CSP Raphael I. Irowainu (Rtd.), and National Secretary, Dr. Enyi Nnaemezie Ignatius, described the condition of many retired police officers as dire.
“The present condition of many retired police officers is painful and distressing. After dedicating the most productive years of their lives to safeguarding Nigeria, many retirees can no longer afford basic necessities, including healthcare,” the forum said.
According to the retirees, increasing cases of illness, financial hardship and deaths among former officers underscore the need to remove the police from the Contributory Pension Scheme.
They disclosed that the Inspector-General had previously assured them that their request would be conveyed to President Tinubu and expressed hope that the intervention would result in presidential assent to the bill.
The forum urged the IGP to support the proposed legislation rather than alternative pension arrangements.
It also rejected the proposed “Option B” pension model by the National Pension Commission (PenCom), describing it as an inadequate solution that would not address what it called longstanding pension injustice.
The retirees argued that police personnel remain disadvantaged compared with members of the Armed Forces, the Department of State Services (DSS), the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the National Assembly, whose pension arrangements are outside the Contributory Pension Scheme.
According to the forum, extending similar pension benefits to police personnel is a matter of equity and recognition of the sacrifices officers make in protecting lives and property.
The group told the IGP that history would remember him as the police chief who restored dignity and financial security to serving and retired officers if the bill receives presidential assent during his tenure.
Despite its strong criticism of the current pension system, the forum said its planned nationwide protest would remain peaceful and in line with the law, describing the campaign as a constitutional demand for justice rather than an act of confrontation.
Copies of the letter were sent to President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, the Minister of Police Affairs, the National Security Adviser, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, the Director-General of the Department of State Services, the Director-General of PenCom, the 36 state governors, Commissioners of Police and other senior government and security officials.
