JUST IN: Protest Hits National Assembly in Abuja, Details, Video Emerge

• Some retired police officers on Tuesday, May 21, protested at the national assembly over alleged several months of unpaid pensions
• The protesters made a call to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu concerning the contributory pension scheme
• Similarly, the former police personnel wrote a save our soul (SOS) letter to Godswill Akpabio, the senate president, asking him to urgently intervene

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering public journalism.

FCT, Abuja - Retired police officers, under the aegis of the contributory pension scheme, have stormed the national assembly (NASS) to protest several months of unpaid pensions by the federal government.

As reported by Vanguard newspaper on Tuesday, May 21, the retired police officers carried placards and stood by the Mopol gate entrance of the national assembly, calling on the FG to remove them from the contributory pension scheme.

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Channels Television shared clips from the protest.

Some of the placards read “NPF pension defrauding police retirees, SOS”, “Police officers are dying in penury under the contributory pension scheme”, and “CPS is a death sentence against police!”

Retired police officers' protest: Analyst reacts

Meanwhile, Bulama Bukarti, an analyst, said he "could not help but think that some of those protesting might have shot or mistreated protesters while they were still in service".

He wrote on his verified X (formerly Twitter) page on Wednesday, May 22:

"Retired police officers protested in Abuja yesterday over the non-payment of their pensions.

"While I sympathise with their cause, I couldn't help but think that some of those protesting might have shot or mistreated protesters while they were still in service.

"I wish current members of the security and law enforcement agencies would learn a lesson and stop killing protesters. They may be at the receiving end one day. What goes around comes around."

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FG urged to give adequate attention to police's welfare

Meanwhile, Seun Akinloye, a serving police operative, urged the Bola Tinubu government to make adequate provisions to actualise improved welfare of personnel.

The appeal was made in an interview with Legit.ng.

Akinloye emphasis­ed the importance of changing the mindset of police officers through programmes that encour­age them to perform their duties effectively.

He said:

"It is not really a nice picture seeing our retirees protesting.

"The lives of policemen should be a mirror of the Nigerians they are protecting. So, this current government must prioritise their plight."

Retired police superintendent becomes beggar

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a retired two-star traffic warden police officer, Sunday Ogwo Okpalle, resorted to begging to survive as the cost of living has skyrocketed across the country.

Okpalle said he could no longer afford the basic things of life from his meagre income, which is the N30,000 he receives monthly as a pension.

Source: Legit.ng