The Lagos State Police Command has denied reports that pensioners were tear-gassed during Monday’s protest at the Lagos State Government Secretariat.

It, however, described a viral photograph purportedly showing the incident as AI-generated.

A statement by the Command’s Spokesman, SP Abimbola Adebesi, said no teargas was fired at members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Lagos State Council, during the protest.

However, the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has condemned the reported use of teargas and force on the pensioners.

The rights group, in a statement by its National President, Yinka Folarin, and General Secretary, Idris Afees, described the alleged action against the elderly protesters as “inhumane, unacceptable and a serious affront to human dignity.”

The CDHR urged the state government to urgently engage the pensioners and take practical steps to settle all verified outstanding pensions, gratuities and allowances..

Also, the Youth Rights Campaign (YRC) and the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) have condemned the tear-gassing of the pensioners.

The Command said operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Lagos State Taskforce, Eko Strike Force, and personnel from divisional headquarters within the area were only deployed to maintain law and order and ensure the safety of protesters and other members of the public.

According to the statement, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations coordinated the security operation.

It urged members of the public to exercise caution and avoid creating, sharing, or amplifying unverified information that could mislead the public, cause unnecessary tension, or undermine confidence in the police.

The Commissioner of Police (CP), Tijani Fatai, reiterated the Command’s commitment to protecting citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and expression.

He, however, urged residents to ensure that such activities remained peaceful, orderly and within the law.

The Command also advised members of the public to rely on information from credible and authorised sources, while refraining from circulating misinformation, manipulated images and unverified posts.

The YRC, in a statement yesterday by its National Coordinator, Michael Adaramoye Lenin, and National Secretary, Francis Nwapa, described the incident as a “declaration of war on the elderly.”

The RULAAC, in a statement by its Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, called for an independent investigation into the incident, noting that while multiple media reports stated that police officers deployed to the protest fired teargas, the Lagos State Police Command subsequently denied that its personnel fired teargas at the pensioners.

“This conflicting account makes an immediate, transparent and credible investigation imperative,” the organisation said.