Lagos pensioners tear-gassed during protest as Sowore demands justice

Lagos pensioners tear-gassed during protest as Sowore demands justice

Police officers in Lagos State reportedly deployed tear gas on Monday to disperse pensioners who gathered at the Lagos House in Ikeja to protest over unpaid pension increases, wage awards and arrears.

The retirees, drawn from the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) and the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), had converged on the Lagos State Government premises to demand the implementation of pension increases they said had been approved and the payment of accumulated benefits.

The protest followed an earlier demonstration by the pensioners, who had accused the Lagos State Government and the Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC) of delaying the implementation of outstanding pension adjustments.

The retirees had subsequently set August 31, 2026, as a deadline for the government to address their grievances, warning that they would embark on further action if their demands were not met.

The Monday protest reportedly became tense after police officers fired tear gas to disperse the pensioners, forcing some of the elderly protesters away from the government premises.

The incident has generated criticism from activists and political figures, with concerns raised over the use of force against elderly citizens during a demonstration over their welfare.

The pensioners have alleged that several approved pension adjustments and wage awards remain outstanding.

Chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Olarewaju Caleb, said the retirees were demanding payment of 57 months of arrears of the 2019 consequential adjustment, alongside arrears relating to the 20 per cent and 28 per cent pension increases approved in 2024.

They are also demanding payment of the N32,000 wage award for state pensioners, which they said should have commenced in January 2024.

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Retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme have similarly demanded outstanding increases dating back several years, including the 15 per cent pension increase of 2010, the 33 per cent increase associated with the 2019 consequential adjustment and the 20 per cent and 28 per cent increases approved in 2024.

The pensioners have argued that the failure to implement the adjustments has worsened the financial pressure faced by retirees, particularly amid rising living costs.

They have also called on Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to meet with them directly and address their concerns.

Some of the retirees reportedly receive monthly pensions that they consider inadequate to meet their basic needs, with their representatives citing payments ranging from about N10,000 to N70,000 for some pensioners.

The protest came shortly after the Lagos State Government defended its record on pension payments.

The government said the Lagos State Pension Commission had paid N168.2 billion to more than 48,000 retirees since 2007.

It further stated that between May 2019 and August 2026, the state disbursed about N92 billion in accrued rights to more than 25,000 retirees.

The government described the figures as evidence of its commitment to pensioners and what it called a strong performance on pension matters.

The state also highlighted a N5 billion single-batch payment in July 2024, which it said helped clear pension backlogs that existed at the time.

The pensioners, however, maintained that the government’s payment figures did not resolve the specific issues at the centre of their current protest.

Their representatives argued that the payments made over the years should not be treated as discretionary gifts because the affected retirees contributed to pension arrangements during their years of public service.

The dispute has consequently developed into a disagreement over both the scale of payments already made and the outstanding liabilities the pensioners say remain unresolved.

Reacting to the reported use of tear gas, African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore condemned the police action and demanded accountability.

Sowore described the incident as an “unprovoked attack” on elderly citizens who were peacefully demanding their retirement entitlements.

He said pensioners who spent years serving the country deserved dignity and respect rather than force while seeking benefits they believed were legally due to them.

“It is bad enough that these senior citizens are being denied their legitimate post-retirement entitlements after giving years of their lives in service. To then unleash tear gas on them for peacefully demanding what is rightfully theirs is cruel, reckless, and completely unacceptable,” Sowore said.

The AAC candidate also called for the police officers allegedly responsible for deploying the tear gas to be identified, arrested and investigated.

He demanded prosecution if investigations establish that the officers acted unlawfully, stressing that those responsible should face the consequences of their actions.

“Our pensioners deserve their entitlements, dignity, and respect, not brutality,” Sowore said.

The controversy has also raised broader questions about the policing of peaceful protests, particularly demonstrations involving elderly citizens.

While the Lagos State Government has pointed to billions of naira already paid to retirees, the pensioners insist that the figures do not address the specific arrears and pension adjustments they are demanding.

The retirees have therefore continued to press for a direct resolution of the dispute, including payment of the outstanding pension increases, wage awards and arrears.

The reported use of tear gas has now added another dimension to the dispute, with attention shifting from pension payments to the conduct of security personnel and the treatment of elderly protesters.

The pensioners are expected to continue engaging the Lagos State Government over their demands, while critics are calling for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the police response.

The immediate challenge for the state government is to reconcile its account of payments to retirees with the specific claims being made by the pensioners and prevent the dispute from escalating further.

For the retirees, however, the issue goes beyond the figures announced by the government. They want the approved pension increases and wage awards implemented and the outstanding arrears paid.

Until those issues are resolved, the dispute over Lagos pension arrears and pensioners’ welfare is likely to remain a major issue between the retirees and the state government.

Lagos pensioners tear-gassed during protest as Sowore demands justice