The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has called on the National Assembly to urgently initiate legislative measures to exempt the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), describing the current welfare of retired police officers as “humiliating” and “unacceptable.”
In a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the IGP expressed deep concern over what he described as a “deeply troubling matter” that continues to erode morale and institutional confidence within the Force.
The letter, dated July 25, 2025, and acknowledged by the Office of the Senate President on July 29, highlighted the debilitating impact of the CPS on police retirees.
Egbetokun noted that the current pension system fails to account for the peculiar risks and sacrifices associated with police service in Nigeria.
“Today, most retired officers of the Nigeria Police Force live in conditions that are not only unacceptable but humiliating, given the sacrifices they made in service to the nation,” the IGP stated.
He added that the monthly stipends received under the CPS are “abysmally low and grossly inadequate” to meet basic living needs, pushing many retired officers into hardship and despair after decades of service.
The IGP’s appeal echoes long-standing concerns raised by police advocacy groups and retired personnel, who have repeatedly urged the National Assembly to remove the Force from the scheme and establish a more tailored pension structure that reflects the realities of policing in Nigeria.
