By JKNewsMedia
AN INDEPENDENT investigation into the reported teargassing of peaceful pensioners protesting unpaid entitlements has been demanded by a coalition of Civil Society Organisations, which also accused the Lagos State Police Command of attempting to conceal the alleged assault.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that the coalition described the reported attack on the elderly protesters as cruel, unacceptable, disgraceful and an indefensible abuse of state power, insisting that the pensioners should receive their unpaid entitlements.
The groups said the retirees had spent decades working and contributing to society but were allegedly met with tear gas when they gathered peacefully to demand payment of benefits, they were legally and morally entitled to.
The coalition also condemned the reported denial by the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, that the pensioners were teargassed.
It said eyewitness accounts, including that of a pensioners’ leader, pointed to the use of tear gas, and argued that the appropriate response from the police should be an apology and a transparent investigation rather than what it described as an attempt to cover up the incident.
“If the Police Command cannot acknowledge misconduct involving its own officers, how can ordinary citizens trust it to protect them?” the coalition asked.
The groups said they were particularly concerned about attempts to discredit elderly citizens who had come forward to recount their experiences, adding that publicly dismissing their accounts without a credible investigation would be disrespectful to people who deserved dignity after a lifetime of service.
They demanded that the Police Service Commission urgently examine the conduct of the police spokesperson and said an officer entrusted with communicating on behalf of the police should not remain in the position if found to have deliberately misrepresented or concealed facts about an alleged assault on citizens.
Members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), including retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), gathered at the Lagos State House of Assembly on August 31, 2026, following the expiration of a 19 day ultimatum over unpaid pension increases, wage awards and arrears.
The coalition said the peaceful demonstration was disrupted when police officers fired tear gas at the protesters, forcing elderly citizens to flee for safety.
Several eyewitnesses, including the Deputy Chairman of the Nigerian Pensioners Practitioners (NPP) of Lagos State, Mr Latif Salau, narrated their ordeal to the media, the groups said.
According to the coalition, Salau said a senior police officer subsequently apologised after the attack and offered the pensioners sachet water and biscuits.
The groups also referred to reports that Mr Tayo Ayinde, Chief of Staff to the Lagos State Governor, apologised for the incident and absolved the state of responsibility for the teargassing of the retirees.
The coalition said the reported incident was part of repeated repression of civil rights in Lagos, adding that residents protesting illegal demolitions and forced evictions at the Lagos State House of Assembly were subjected to what it described as a violent police crackdown on January 28, 2026.
It alleged that the then Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, ordered officers to fire tear gas at protesters and was accused of taking part in beating citizens exercising their constitutionally guaranteed rights.
The coalition said it remained concerned that allegations of teargassing peaceful protesters had resurfaced under a new Commissioner of Police.
Referring to the #EndSARS protests of 2020, the repression of the 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests and the reported attacks on pensioners and residents protesting demolitions, the groups said the repeated use of force against citizens demanding accountability showed that previous lessons had not been learnt.
The coalition called on the Inspector General of Police to immediately establish an internal mechanism to review the operations of the Lagos State Police Command, particularly the responsibility of the police hierarchy for enforcing discipline and responsible conduct among officers.
It also called for officers attached to the Command to receive training on the rights of peaceful protesters, proportionality, de-escalation and the appropriate use of force.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that the statement was jointly signed by Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), #Endbadgovernance Movement, Lagos State, Precision, Electrical and Related Equipment Senior Staff Association (ERESSA), Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Lagos State, Joint Action Front, Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights (JAFCDWR), Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RLAAC)and Centre for Human and Socio-economic Rights (CHSR).
The groups further recommended that officers found to have authorised or used unlawful force against peaceful and vulnerable protesters undergo appropriate professional and psychological fitness assessments and face disciplinary action.
They also called on the media to resist intimidation or undue influence and publicly stand by their reports and reporters.
The coalition urged the Lagos State Government to stop treating pension payments as an act of generosity, describing the benefits as earned entitlements for men and women who gave the state their working years.
The pensioners’ demands, the groups said, include 57 months of arrears under the Defined Benefit Scheme from the 2019 consequential adjustment, 12 months of arrears from the 20% and 28% increases approved in 2024, and the N32,000 wage award effective from January 2024.
Under the Contributory Pension Scheme (UPS), the retirees are seeking unpaid increases dating back to 2010, subsequent adjustments and the N32,000 wage award.
The coalition said published analysis showed Lagos received N365.78 billion in FAAC disbursements in the first half of 2026, up 54.39% from ₦236.92 billion in the same period of 2025.
It demanded that the Sanwo Olu administration explain how the additional funds were being spent and why pension obligations remained unmet.
The groups said pensioners’ representatives had reported that some members died while awaiting payment, warning that further delays threatened elderly retirees struggling to afford food, housing and medical care.
They demanded that Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu meet the pensioners directly, condemn the reported police assault, pay undisputed arrears immediately and publish a clear, time bound and enforceable schedule for settling all outstanding claims.
The coalition also called on the National Pension Commission and other relevant bodies to engage the Lagos State Government and pensioner representatives to resolve the issues.
Citing Sections 39 and 40 of the Constitution on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and Section 210 on pension rights, the groups said pensioners had the right to peacefully demand that government fulfil its obligations.
“They must not be intimidated, humiliated or silenced for doing so,” the coalition said.
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