VIDEO: Retired Police Officer Collapses At National Assembly As Pensioners Protest Unpaid Entitlements

VIDEO: Retired Police Officer Collapses At National Assembly As Pensioners Protest Unpaid Entitlements

Abuja, Nigeria — November 6, 2025

Tension gripped the National Assembly complex in Abuja on Thursday as one retired police officer collapsed during an ongoing protest by hundreds of retired officers demanding the payment of their long-overdue pensions and the removal of the Nigeria Police Force from the controversial Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

The demonstration, which entered its second day, saw visibly weak and aging officers, some on walking sticks, chanting solidarity songs under the scorching sun while holding placards with inscriptions such as “We served Nigeria, not slavery,” “End CPS now!” and “Police retirees deserve dignity, not death.”

Eyewitnesses said the officer who collapsed was among those who had travelled from far-flung states to join the protest. He reportedly fainted after hours of standing and shouting slogans, drawing tears and outrage from fellow protesters before being rushed to a nearby clinic for medical attention.

Many of the retirees lamented that after decades of selfless service to the nation, risking their lives to maintain peace and order, they have been left to suffer neglect and poverty in old age.

  “We have turned beggars after 35 years of service,” one emotional retiree cried, his voice trembling with frustration. “How can a country be safe when those who protected it are treated this way?”

Another retiree, identified simply as Inspector Ali, said he received only ₦1.5 million as his total retirement benefit after serving the nation for 35 years. “That money cannot even buy a decent car, let alone take care of my health or feed my family,” he lamented.

The protesters described the Contributory Pension Scheme as “fraudulent” and “a scam,” accusing pension fund administrators of enriching themselves at the expense of retired officers who sacrificed their youth and safety for the country. They are calling for an immediate return to the old Defined Benefits Scheme, under which retirees were paid directly by the federal government based on their years of service and rank.

Human rights activist and presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, joined the protesters at the National Assembly gate, expressing solidarity with their cause. Sowore criticized the government’s handling of the police pension system, saying it reflects a broader culture of disregard for Nigeria’s public servants.

 “These men and women gave their best years to this country,” Sowore said. “To abandon them in retirement is wicked and inhumane. If Nigeria can find billions to fund political offices, it can certainly pay its heroes their pensions.”

The retired officers are demanding President Bola Tinubu’s immediate intervention, urging him to issue an executive order removing the Nigeria Police Force from the CPS and directing the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) to settle their entitlements.

They also called on the leadership of the National Assembly to urgently pass the Police Pension Reform Bill, which seeks to restore dignity and fairness to police retirees.

As chants of “Tinubu, save our souls!” echoed through the National Assembly complex, security operatives looked on, maintaining a tense calm while lawmakers hurried past the growing crowd of weary pensioners.

The protest underscores a deepening crisis in Nigeria’s pension administration system, where thousands of retired civil servants and security personnel continue to battle hardship, delayed payments, and neglect.

For now, the retired officers have vowed not to leave the National Assembly until their demands are addressed, even as health concerns mount among the aging demonstrators.

 “We will die here if we must,” one of them declared. “It’s better to die fighting for our rights than to die of hunger at home.”