The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has directed all Commissioners of Police (CPs) across the country and in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to provide maximum security for the peaceful protest planned by retired police officers.
This was disclosed in a statement on Sunday by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who also cautioned the public against the spread of misinformation regarding the protests scheduled to hold nationwide on Monday.
“The IGP has ordered that the rights of our retired officers who have chosen to protest must be protected. The protest should serve as a model of dignified expression of grievance,” Adejobi stated.
He noted that while the call by retirees to exit the Contributory Pension Scheme is not new, it has been a longstanding demand supported by successive IGPs, though progress has been hampered by statutory, inter-agency, and fiscal constraints.
Adejobi expressed concern that some individuals are attempting to politicise the situation, warning against manipulative efforts to use the retirees’ demands for political or disruptive purposes.
“It is disheartening to observe how certain actors have chosen to politicise a sensitive welfare issue, weaponising the legitimate grievances of our retired colleagues for ulterior motives,” he said.
To ensure order, the IGP directed CPs to provide adequate security for the retirees during the protest, prevent any attempt by miscreants, political actors, or non-retired agitators to hijack the event, and sensitise officers and men under their command on the constitutional rights to peaceful assembly. He also urged that the protesting retirees be treated with utmost respect, and called for the deployment of necessary intelligence and operational resources to maintain public order, protect lives, and uphold the institutional integrity of the police.
Adejobi further urged the protesting retirees to ensure the demonstration remains peaceful and commended their commitment to lawful expression.
