Presidential candidate of African Action Congress, AAC, in the 2023 elections, Omoyele Sowore and other activists have vowed to stage a protest in Abuja on Monday, today, to demand improved welfare for personnel of the Nigeria Police Force.
Simultaneously, members of the Nigerian Union of Retired Police Officers will be picketing the National Assembly complex and the Force Headquarters to demand their removal from the contributory pension scheme, which they described as a “discriminatory pension scheme.”
The retired officers claimed that they have been pushed to the wall with the government’s unresponsive attitude to their yearnings about what they tagged “discriminatory pension scheme.”
In a telephone interview on Sunday, the Chairman of the union, Mannir M. Lawal, said members from across the 36 states are presently in Abuja for the “mother of all peaceful protests.”
“Nothing is going to stop the protest. We have just met with the FCT Commissioner of Police. We have informed him of our intention.
“We just want to be removed from the Contributory Pension Scheme. We want all our savings to be refunded to us with immediate effect,” he said.
Contrary to reports that Sowore and other activists orchestrated the protest to tarnish the image of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Lawal said that the union solely planned the exercise.
He said, “We only saw Sowore’s own on social media. We are not aware of his planned protest before today.”
Sensitive police welfare politicised, colleagues for ulterior motives – Police
The Nigeria Police Force lamented on Sunday that certain actors in the country have decided to politicize a sensitive welfare issue of the personnel and retired police officers, stating that they are “weaponizing the legitimate grievances of our retired colleagues for ulterior motives.”
Apparently referring to moves by Sowore and other activists, the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said in a statement that “their intent is not reform, but disruption.”
He accused the unnamed actors of “twisting facts, inflaming sentiments, and sowing distrust in the public space,” stressing that their actions do a disservice not only to the force, “but to the integrity of public discourse in our country.”
“We, however, remain focused on the real issue, which is the welfare of those who once bore the burden of national security with courage and honour.”
The IGP, however, directed Commissioners of Police to ensure the protesters are protected.
Police direct officers to remain in barracks
A leaked memo sighted on Sunday night directed some police officers, particularly those in the nation’s capital, to remain in the barracks until further notice.
“All officers and men serving in the command be confined to the barracks with immediate effect until further notice.
“All to acknowledge receipt for strict compliance please,” part of the memo from Supol Asokoro and dated July 20, 2025, indicated.
Police fidgeting, no going back on protest – Sowore
When contacted , Sowore said despite the oppositions from the Force and the Police Community Relations Committee, PCRC, “there is no going back on the protest.”
Also, in a post on his social media handles, Sowore alleged that the Nigeria Police Force and the present administration led by Bola Tinubu “refused to pay the police decent salaries,” insisting that it is a “lack of respect for you to deny them pensions.”
“You humiliated them in service and in retirement. Now you’re scrambling, issuing statements, summoning spin doctors, locking officers in barracks, trying to explain away decades of injustice,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
The Police Community Relations Committee, PCRC, on Sunday called on the aggrieved retirees to return to the table for negotiations, stating that the planned nationwide protest was an attempt to discredit the IGP.
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