ABUJA — A wave of bitter resentment is sweeping through the ranks of Nigeria’s veteran security personnel as thousands of police officers who retired under the President Bola Tinubu administration allege they have been abandoned without a kobo of their pensions or gratuities.
Since the beginning of 2024, a growing number of officers who served the nation for 35 years have been phased out of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), only to find themselves trapped in a bureaucratic nightmare. Many reported that within weeks of their retirement, they were served “notice to quit” orders from police barracks, effectively being thrown into the streets without the financial means to rent even a single-room apartment.
The “Zero Kobo” Retirement
The accounts emerging from across the federation are harrowing. For these retirees, the “Renewed Hope” agenda has become a story of “Renewed Hardship.” Despite official claims that the government is reforming the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), many 2024 and 2025 retirees insist their bank accounts remain empty.
“They sent us out of the barracks like common criminals,” one retired Assistant Superintendent (ASP) in Lagos lamented, his voice cracking with emotion. “No salary, no pension, no gratuity. We protected this country from bandits and kidnappers for decades, but today, we cannot even protect our own families from hunger. Is this how Tinubu rewards loyalty?”
The situation has reached a breaking point, with several retirees reportedly slumping and dying while waiting in endless verification queues at the National Pension Commission (PenCom) offices.
“A Recipe for Crime”—Nigerians Blast the Presidency
The plight of these veterans has triggered a firestorm of criticism from the public, with many Nigerians labeling the treatment of retired officers as a “national disgrace” and a threat to national security.
- “Prioritizing Luxury Over Loyalty”: Critics on social media have blasted the President, contrasting the ₦66 billion spent on luxury SUVs for government officials with the “pittance” owed to the police. “How can the President find billions for cars but nothing for the men who bled for this country?” one popular analyst on X (formerly Twitter) noted. “This is not governance; it is the height of insensitivity.”
- The “Corruption” Factor: Many Nigerians have accused NPF Pensions Limited and the Budget Office of “sitting on the funds” meant for retirees. “We hear of billions being released every month for ‘security,’ yet the actual humans who provided that security are begging for bread. Where is the money going?” a resident in Abuja queried.
- “A Bad Signal to Serving Officers”:Â Security experts warn that the mistreatment of retirees is demoralizing those currently in service. “When a serving corporal sees his retired superior officer being evicted and starving, what is his motivation to be honest? This is how you encourage extortion on the highways,” a retired military officer remarked.
The Legislative Standoff
While the National Assembly has debated several bills to pull the police out of the “stagnant” Contributory Pension Scheme, actual relief remains elusive. President Tinubu’s recent signing of the Electoral Act and his emotional Ramadan plea for forgiveness have done little to appease the veterans.
“The President is asking for forgiveness, but he should start by paying us what we earned,” another retiree in Kano stated. “Forgiveness does not pay house rent or buy a bag of rice which is now over ₦100,000.”
As of Thursday morning, February 19, 2026, the Ministry of Police Affairs and the Office of the Accountant-General have not provided a definitive timeline for when the 2024/2025 batch of retirees will receive their first payments.
