Retired police officers under the Police Retired Officers Forum have temporarily suspended their planned nationwide protest at the Presidential Villa to give the newly appointed Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, time to intervene and speak with Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the long-awaited Police Exit Bill.
The group said the protest, which was originally scheduled to begin on March 24, 2026, has now been put on hold for two weeks, with a new deadline of April 10, 2026.
In a statement signed by the forum’s National Coordinator, Raphael Irowainu, the retirees said the decision followed a meeting with the IGP at Louis Edet House, Force Headquarters, Abuja.
According to them, the suspension is meant to allow the police chief to use his office and his relationship with the President to push for the bill to be signed into law.
The retirees described the bill as a major lifeline for both former and serving officers, saying it is necessary to end what they called the “exploitation and dehumanisation” of police pensioners under the Contributory Pension Scheme.
They warned, however, that if the President fails to assent to the bill before the new deadline, they will launch an indefinite peaceful protest beginning April 11, 2026.
The group said the action would include converging on the Presidential Villa with their families and staying there until the bill is signed.
The retirees also accused officials of the National Pension Commission (PenCom) of circulating misleading information about the financial impact of removing the police from the pension scheme.
They argued that the current system has left many retired officers in severe hardship, citing what they described as painfully low pensions after decades of service.
According to the forum, some retired senior officers receive lump sums ranging from ₦10 million to ₦12 million, with monthly pensions between ₦100,000 and ₦120,000, while lower-ranking retirees reportedly receive far less.
They insisted that such payments are not enough to sustain a decent life after retirement and said many former officers have been pushed into poverty.
The group maintained that the police must be removed entirely from the contributory pension structure, just like the military, DSS, and some other security agencies already exempted from the scheme.
They also argued that police welfare is directly tied to Nigeria’s internal security, warning that a poorly treated police force cannot effectively secure the country.
For now, the retirees say they are waiting to see whether the new IGP can deliver results — but they insist their demand is non-negotiable.