Retired police officers in Plateau State have accused the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, of frustrating efforts to remove them from multiple pension schemes they say are impoverishing them.
The retirees, under the banner of the Retired Police Officers Association, staged a peaceful protest in Jos on Monday and submitted a letter to the Plateau State Commissioner of Police for onward delivery to the IGP.
Speaking to journalists, the association’s state secretary, retired ASP Sylvanus Basadeimbo, lamented the hardship faced by retired police personnel across the country due to the pension schemes they are enrolled in.
He said most retirees receive meagre pensions, with some collecting as little as N12,000 to N30,000 monthly. He added that many have gone unpaid for months, especially those under the African Alliance Insurance Scheme.
“We have been short-changed. Our take-home is not enough to survive,” Basadeimbo said. “The IGP, DIGs, and AIGs opted out of these schemes, so why are we still trapped in them?”
He accused the IGP of interfering in the work of the National Assembly, which has been pushing to remove retired officers from the controversial schemes.
“We are calling on the IGP to stop interfering with the lawmakers. Let the National Assembly do its job,” he said. “If they can’t remove us, then return the senior officers back into the same scheme, so we can all suffer it together.”
In response, the Plateau State Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Adesina, assured the protesting officers that their message would be delivered to the IGP, and efforts would be made to address their concerns.
The issue of poor police pensions has been a long-standing one, with many retired officers complaining of neglect and financial hardship after years of service.
