Retired police officers under the Contributory Pension Scheme have decried what they described as years of hardship and neglect, declaring their intention to stage a nationwide peaceful demonstration on July 21, 2025.
The Kaduna State chapter of the Union of Retired Police Officers said the protest, tagged the “Mother of All Peaceful Protests,” will be staged simultaneously across the 36 states of the federation.
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According to the group’s Chairman, Mannir M. Zaria, and Vice Chairman, Danlami Maigamo, the decision followed their monthly meeting held at the Police Officers’ Mess in Kaduna.
“We have no option but to embark on another peaceful protest tagged ‘Mother of All Peaceful Protests’ on July 21, 2025,” the union declared.
The retired officers are demanding that the Nigeria Police Force be removed from the Contributory Pension Scheme, which they say has subjected many of them to economic hardship, financial embarrassment, and contributed to a worrying rise in depression and deaths among their members.
“As law-abiding citizens, we shall continue to pursue our demand for the Nigeria Police to be excluded from the Contributory Pension Scheme through peaceful means until our voices are heard,” the statement added.
The union expressed disappointment over the silence of the National Assembly following an earlier protest that held between February 24 and March 3, 2025, at the National Assembly complex by members from Kaduna and Bauchi states.
During that protest, the retirees submitted petitions to five critical offices, including the chairmen of the relevant Senate and House Committees and the Director of the Department of State Services.
They also lamented the lack of feedback from the public hearing on the Police Pension Board Bill held on November 19, 2024.
“The silence from the authorities is deafening, but we remain committed to lawful engagement,” the group stated.
The union stressed that they are not affiliated with any violent movements and reaffirmed their commitment to peace.
They insist that the only sustainable solution is the establishment of an independent Police Pension Board to address what they described as systemic injustice in the current pension regime.
