Nigeria Police Retirees Storm National Assembly Gate, Demand Exit from Contributory Pension Scheme — Retiree Collapses During Protest,

UPDATE ON OUR VISIT TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY – THURSDAY, 6TH NOVEMBER, 2025

By CSP Raphael I. Irowainu (Rtd)

National Coordinator, Police Retired Officers Forum (PROF) under CPS

GSM: 08060422653

Good morning, Distinguished Senior Colleagues Nationwide (SCN),

I salute you all with humility and honour. Our service to the nation shall never be in vain, and by the special grace of Almighty God, we shall all reap the fruits of our labour. Amen.

Purpose of the Visit

In line with our collective commitment to ensure that the National Assembly passes the PenCom Amendment Bill 2025 which seeks to exit the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) from the inhumane, fraudulent, and oppressive Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS)—on or before Wednesday, 12th November, 2025, my team and I undertook a visit to the Senate Chamber on Thursday, 6th November, 2025.

The purpose of this visit was to ascertain the current status of the Bill and to investigate the cause of delays in its consideration and passage by the Senate.

Background

It will be recalled that on Wednesday, 5th November, 2025, I held a reconciliatory meeting with CSP Mannir Lawal (Rtd), Chairman of the Kaduna Chapter of Police Retirees under CPS, and his group of protesters. At that meeting, we resolved to set aside our differences and work collectively towards achieving our shared goal: the total and final exit of the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme.

Following our discussion, CSP Mannir Lawal (Rtd) informed me that he would constitute a five-man committee to join our delegation to the National Assembly for the same purpose.

Events at the National Assembly

Upon our arrival at the National Assembly gate around 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, 6th November, 2025, CSP Mannir Lawal (Rtd) informed me that the following committee members were already within the complex, awaiting our arrival:

1. SP Yahaya Musa (Rtd)

2. DSP Ignatius (Rtd)

3. DSP Lawrence Adikwu (Rtd)

4. ASP Greg Amayo (Rtd)

However, on reaching the Senate Building, we found them sitting outside on the pavement. When I inquired why, ASP Greg Amayo explained that despite identifying themselves to security operatives and requesting to see the DPO of the National Assembly, they were denied entry and had been waiting outside for over three hours.

My team and I then approached the security personnel, introduced ourselves, and reiterated our request to see the DPO. Again, our request was denied. During the ensuing exchange, a man in plain clothes—later identified as a DSS operative—made an offensive and provocative remark, saying:

You Police retirees are suffering because the Police Management Team mismanaged your money.”

This unguarded statement, coming from an officer who should have shown empathy to our cause, provoked tension, leading to a heated confrontation between our members and the security personnel. In the course of the altercation, DSP Iliyasu Aliyu (Rtd) fell to the ground but was quickly assisted by our team and some police officers on duty.

The situation was eventually brought under control following the arrival of the DPO, after which we retreated to our base outside the National Assembly gate for further consultations.

Findings

From credible sources within the National Assembly, we gathered that Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, the Majority Leader of the Senate, is responsible for the delay in the presentation and passage of the PenCom Amendment Bill.

The House of Representatives had already passed the Bill on 15th October, 2025, and forwarded it to the Senate for concurrence. Unfortunately, the Senate Majority Leader has yet to present the Bill to the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, for onward consideration and debate.

Next Steps

In light of this development, we shall reach out directly to Senator Opeyemi Bamidele and other Principal Officers of the Senate to urge them to act swiftly. Our demand is clear — the PenCom Amendment Bill must be passed, harmonized with the House version, and transmitted to the President for assent on or before Wednesday, 12th November, 2025.

Should this not be done, we shall have no choice but to resume the “Father of All Peaceful Protests” beginning Thursday, 13th November, 2025.

Call to Action

All Police Retirees under the CPS across the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT are hereby put on notice to prepare for mass peaceful demonstrations at the following key locations:

National Assembly Complex, Abuja

Police Service Commission (PSC), Abuja

Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Abuja

Federal Ministry of Finance, Abuja

Ministry of Police Affairs, Abuja

Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja

State Government Houses and Pension Offices across the Federation

Our Stand

The removal of the Nigeria Police Force from the fraudulent and dehumanizing Contributory Pension Scheme is non-negotiable.

We reject:

Any form of reform within the CPS,

Any palliative or temporary adjustment, and

Any delay tactics.

We demand TOTAL EXIT—just like our counterparts in the Military, DSS, EFCC, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI), and even the National Assembly itself.

For over a decade, Police retirees have been subjected to untold hardship, denied gratuity, and forced to survive on meager pensions. This is an injustice that must be corrected.

Even in Chile, where this scheme originated, the Police, Military, and Security Agencies were exempted from it. Why then should those who sacrificed their lives for national security be treated otherwise in Nigeria?

If the Federal Government fails to act, this injustice will have grave implications for national security.

Enough is enough.

God bless Police Retirees.

God bless the Nigeria Police Force.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Signed:

CSP Raphael I. Irowainu (Rtd)

National Coordinator, Police Retired Officers Forum (PROF) under CPS

GSM: 08060422653