DistantNews
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

Police retirees fix April 20 protest, dismiss rival group

From The Punch · (1d ago) English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Police retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme are planning a protest for April 20, 2026, led by the "original agitators" who have championed their cause for over 15 years.
  • The group claims a rival faction's recent protest was poorly attended and ineffective, leading them to proceed independently after internal consultations.
  • Their grievances are primarily directed at the Federal Government, and they intend to press their demands at the highest level, aiming to avoid past failures in engaging with the legislature.

A determined group of police retirees, operating under the Contributory Pension Scheme, has announced plans for a significant protest on April 20, 2026. This action is being spearheaded by the "original agitators" who have been advocating for the retirees' cause for more than fifteen years, signaling a renewed push to address long-standing grievances.

We dissociated ourselves with them and proceeded with our own protest on October 14, which lasted for about 46 days.

— Mannir LawalThe Chairman of police retirees explains their decision to separate from a rival group and conduct their own protest.

The decision to proceed with this new protest follows a period of internal disagreements and a perceived failure of a splinter group's recent demonstration. The chairman, Mannir Lawal, alleged that the rival faction's protest was poorly attended and failed to secure meaningful engagement with lawmakers, causing confusion. Consequently, Lawal's group, which previously held a 46-day protest, has resolved to act independently after extensive consultations across 35 states.

We are the pioneers of this agitation. We have given enough time, but now we are going ahead with our protest.

— Mannir LawalThe Chairman of police retirees asserts their leadership in the movement and their resolve to proceed with the planned protest.

While acknowledging past engagements with the Inspector-General of Police, who urged unity, Lawal stated that their issues are now directly with the Federal Government. The retirees are focused on escalating their demands to the highest level, emphasizing that they have given the police leadership sufficient time to address their concerns. They are determined to avoid repeating the perceived missteps of previous interactions during the 9th National Assembly.

Our own, we are coming on the 20th, and we are not going to listen to IG again.

— Mannir LawalThe Chairman of police retirees declares their intention to proceed with the protest on April 20, indicating a shift in their engagement strategy.

Lawal also dismissed claims of wider support for the rival faction, asserting that their own group commands a significantly larger following, which will be evident on April 20. The ongoing agitation by police retirees underscores years of struggle for improved welfare and a review of the pension structure, highlighting a persistent demand for better conditions for those who have served the nation.

We met with him earlier, and he requested we give him time since he just resumed. Now, we have no business with IG because our issue is with the President.

— Mannir LawalThe Chairman of police retirees explains their decision to bypass the Inspector-General and direct their grievances to the President.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog