More than 30,000 retired police officers in Nigeria have demanded that President Bola Tinubu assent to the Police Exit Bill, warning that failure to do so before June 22, 2026, will trigger renewed nationwide protests.

The retired officers argued that improved welfare for serving and retired personnel was not merely a labour issue but an essential component of strengthening the country’s internal security architecture.

The legislation, which seeks to exempt the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), was passed by the National Assembly in December 2025 and transmitted to the President in March 2026.

Speaking at a press briefing yesterday in Akure, the state capital, the national coordinator of the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria (PROF), CSP Raphael Irowainu (rtd), described the bill as a national security intervention rather than a routine welfare package.

According to Irowainu, the forum’s demands include total withdrawal of the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme, migration to a defined benefit pension scheme, establishment of a Police Pension Board, and payment of all accrued pension rights and arrears owed to retirees.

The group expressed confidence that Tinubu would approve the bill, noting that similar security agencies, including the Armed Forces, the Department of State Services (DSS), the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), already operate outside the CPS framework.