Nigeria: 30,000 retired officers demand Tinubu sign Police Exit Bill, threaten protest

More than 30,000 retired police officers in Nigeria are appealing to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently sign the Police Exit Bill, asserting that enhanced welfare for both serving and retired personnel is crucial for strengthening the nation's internal security.

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Our position remains unchanged, unwavering and non-negotiable, total exit from PENCOM and restoration of pension justice for retired police officers.

The Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria (PROF) described the bill as a strategic national security intervention, not merely a welfare package. Passed by the National Assembly in December 2025 and sent to the President in March 2026, the legislation seeks to remove the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). Key demands include presidential assent, withdrawal from the CPS, migration to a Defined Benefit Pension Scheme, establishment of a Police Pension Board, and payment of all accrued pension rights and arrears.

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This struggle is not about privilege but about justice, equity, fair play and human dignity. The Nigeria Police Force cannot continue to protect the nation while the nation fails to protect them in retirement.

The forum expressed confidence in President Tinubu's approval, noting that other security agencies already operate outside the CPS. However, they issued a stern warning: a nationwide peaceful protest will resume if the bill is not signed into law before June 22, 2026. "Our position remains unchanged, unwavering and non-negotiable, total exit from PENCOM and restoration of pension justice for retired police officers," declared CSP Raphael Irowainu (Rtd), the National Coordinator of PROF.

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This bill is not merely a welfare reform; it is a strategic national security investment whose benefits will be felt across every community, state and sector of the Nigerian Federation.

Irowainu argued that the welfare of police personnel directly impacts operational effectiveness, morale, discipline, and intelligence gathering. "A motivated police force performs better in crime prevention and intelligence operations. Financial security after service encourages integrity during service, while officers who trust their future fight harder to secure the nation’s present," he stated. He further contended that exempting the police from the CPS would restore parity with agencies like the Armed Forces, Department of State Services (DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which have different pension arrangements.

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A motivated police force performs better in crime prevention and intelligence operations. Financial security after service encourages integrity during service, while officers who trust their future fight harder to secure the nation’s present.