By Austin Ogwuda
… already over 100 retired including serving police officers are allegedly being detained for planning to join the protest
In a Save our Soul message sent to The Townhall by one of the aggrieved retirees, Charles Muka, a Superintendent of Police (SP) on Saturday stated that “Retirees under Contributory Pension Scheme CPS have been groaning and agitating to exit from the obnoxious scheme.
“Instead of supporting the retirees, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) became a stumbling block, hindering the exit from the notorious scheme. It could be recalled that all other security Agencies including DSS have exited the cheat of a scheme.
“Worst still, IGP, DIG and AIG have all exited the scheme long ago. Unfortunately, the IGP blocked all the agitations. He is asking where the retirees want to exit to. We want to exit to where the IGPs are or they should return the CPS.
“Currently”, he went on, “the IGP is detaining over hundred serving police officers to intimidation both serving and retired police officers against the planned mother of all protests scheduled to commence on Monday 21/7/2025. He has muzzled all the Command CPs and AIGs against the planned protest.
“He knows he has failed abysmally. How can he explain the fact that serving members intend to join the mother of all protests. Let him do all he wants to do, the protest must hold and serving officers will join the protest. Their welfare is nothing to write home about and they too will no sooner retire from the Force to face the murderous scheme.
“IGP is the Chairman of Police Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) scheme and hence he is oppressing and suppressing retirees and serving members alike. He has even sent sign directing serving members to return their contributions to the Police pension scheme. The retirees have rejected IGP’s planned ranked pension plans. All we want is to exit the poverty induced scheme.
“Many retirees can’t afford to feed their families talk less of taking medications. Hence many die after few years and months of retirement. We cannot continue to lose members to death because of IGPs selfish scheme”, Muka lamented.
Recall that The Nigerian Union of Retired Police Officers under the Contributory Pension Scheme, Kaduna chapter, alongside 35 other chapters, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has announced plans to embark on a massive peaceful protest in Abuja on Monday, July 21.
In a letter addressed to the Inspector General of Police the retired officers stated that the protest, described as the “mother of all peaceful protests,” is a response to the severe hardship they are experiencing under the current pension arrangement.
The statement, signed by retired Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Mannir M. Lawal Zaria on behalf of the union, stated that the retired officers are suffering from “abject poverty,” which has resulted in “rampant deaths” among their ranks.
“With most respect and honour. I retired CSP. Mannir M. Lawal Zaria, on behalf of the above-mentioned union, wish to inform you that, on the 21st of July, Monday, we are coming to Abuja for a mother of all peaceful protest.
“This is due to the abject poverty that we find ourselves in which is leading to rampant death among us. Areas to visit during the peaceful protest may include the national assembly and the force headquarters Abuja respectively.”
SaharaReporters reported a day ago that the Nigeria Police Force has ordered all serving police officers across the country to transfer their Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs) to NPF Pensions Limited on or before August 31, 2025, following a directive from the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
