The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has asked the National Assembly to remove the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), saying the current system leaves retired officers in “unacceptable” and “humiliating” conditions.
Egbetokun made the request in a letter dated July 25, 2025, and sent to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, just days after retired police officers protested in Abuja over poor pension payments. The protest was led by Omoyele Sowore, a former presidential candidate and activist.
In the letter, which Sowore later shared on Facebook, the police chief said the CPS does not match the sacrifices and risks taken by officers during their service.
“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,” Egbetokun said.
He explained that the current pension system pays retired officers far too little and damages morale across the police force.
“Today, most retired officers of the Nigeria Police Force live in conditions that are not only unacceptable but humiliating,” “Their monthly pension under the CPS is abysmally low and grossly inadequate,” he wrote.
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Egbetokun called for legislative action to adjust the pension law and give police officers a retirement plan that reflects the dangers and demands of their work.
“The current state of affairs demands decisive legislative action to align the pension realities of the Force with the peculiar risks, structure, and expectations of policing in Nigeria,” he said.
But Omoyele Sowore was not impressed by the IGP’s letter. He said it was just an attempt to reduce tension after the recent protests.
“This is a ruse, don’t fall for it. It is a calculated move to calm the rising anger of retired and serving police officers. Nothing more than a distraction,” Sowore posted on Facebook.
The retired officers, who gathered in Abuja, complained that many of them live in poverty despite serving the nation for decades. They demanded to be moved back to the old Defined Benefit Scheme, which they believe offers better support.
The National Assembly is yet to respond to the IGP’s request.