“Our pensions are miserable” – IGP bows to pressure, writes Senate, demands Police removal from CPS

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has written to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, calling for an immediate amendment to the current pension law to allow the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to be removed from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

This development comes in the wake of widespread protests by retired police officers, who expressed deep frustration over what they described as inadequate pensions under the CPS.

Their demonstrations, held at the Force Headquarters and the National Assembly in Abuja, have sparked conversations nationwide and drawn attention to the long-standing grievances of police retirees.

A copy of the IGP’s letter, which was stamped as received on July 29, surfaced on social media after it was leaked by political activist Omoyele Sowore.

He claimed the move was not genuine but rather an attempt to cool down tensions.

“It is a calculated move to calm the rising anger of retired and serving police officers—nothing more than a distraction,” Sowore said, calling the letter “halfhearted.”

Egbetokun, however, reassured the protesting retirees that the police hierarchy is actively working to address their concerns.

He stated that police leadership had already held discussions with National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu regarding the pension issues and emphasized that the welfare of retired officers remains a top concern.

“There are things that we need to put in place to ensure that your suffering is alleviated,” he told the protesting officers, while adding that some efforts are already in progress but would not be disclosed to the public just yet.

As of now, the police force has not officially commented on the leaked letter.

Force spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi has yet to respond to inquiries regarding the issue.

A portion of the leaked letter reads:

OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF POLICE
CB:3380/IGP.SEC/ABJ/VOL.35/13
25th July, 2025

His Excellency,
Sen. Godswill Akpabio, GCON
President of the Senate, National Assembly, Three Arms Zone, Abuja

Subject: URGENT APPEAL FOR THE PASSAGE OF THE BILL FOR THE EXIT OF THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE FROM THE CONTRIBUTORY PENSION SCHEME (CPS)

“I write to respectfully draw Your Excellency’s attention to an urgent and deeply troubling matter that has continued to undermine the welfare, morale, and institutional confidence of personnel of the Nigeria Police Force—namely, the debilitating impact of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) on police retirees.

“Today, most retired officers of the Nigeria Police Force live in conditions that are not only unacceptable but humiliating, given the sacrifices they made in service to the nation. Their monthly pension under the CPS is abysmally low and grossly inadequate to meet even basic needs.”

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