Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has called for the identification, arrest and prosecution of police officers accused of using tear gas to disperse pensioners protesting over unpaid pension adjustments and wage awards in Lagos.
The incident occurred on Monday at the Lagos State Government Secretariat and the State House of Assembly complex in Alausa, where several hundred retirees gathered to demand the implementation of outstanding pension increases and payment of other benefits they said had remained unpaid.
The protest reportedly became tense after police officers deployed tear gas, forcing the elderly demonstrators to disperse. Some reports said the incident resulted in injuries among the pensioners.
Falana condemned the police action, arguing that the retirees were exercising their constitutional right to peaceful assembly and protest. He urged the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, to identify the officers involved and ensure that they face appropriate legal action.
The senior lawyer referred to a 2008 Court of Appeal judgment in Inspector-General of Police v All Nigerian People’s Party, which affirmed Nigerians’ right to organise rallies and demonstrations without obtaining a police permit.
Falana also cited provisions of the Nigeria Police Force Establishment Act 2020, arguing that police officers have a responsibility to provide security for peaceful gatherings rather than violently disperse protesters.
He described the reported disruption of the pensioners’ rally as a violation of their rights and maintained that the retirees were protesting against the alleged failure of the Lagos State Government to pay their pension entitlements as and when due.
The controversy comes amid a prolonged dispute between Lagos pensioners and the state government over pension adjustments, consequential increases, wage awards and other outstanding benefits.
Michael Omisande, chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners under the Contributory Pension Scheme, said several hundred retirees participated in the protest. He disclosed that representatives of the state police commissioner later met with the pensioners and apologised for the incident.
Omisande also said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was reportedly outside Lagos when the protest took place, sent his Chief of Staff to meet the pensioners. The retirees were subsequently invited to return to Alausa on Thursday for a meeting with the governor to discuss their demands.
The National Pension Commission has also intervened in the dispute, saying it was engaging the Lagos State Government and the Lagos State Pension Commission over concerns about delayed pension adjustments and wage awards affecting retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme.
PenCom said resolving the issue requires determining eligible retirees, establishing the applicable adjustments, calculating the resulting financial liabilities and ensuring that the required funds and instructions are provided to pension operators.
The commission said it would continue discussions with the Lagos government, LASPEC, pension fund administrators and representatives of the retirees in an effort to reach a transparent and sustainable resolution.
The pensioners' demands and the alleged use of tear gas have therefore widened the dispute, with attention now focused not only on the payment of outstanding benefits but also on the conduct of security personnel during the protest.
Falana has maintained that elderly Nigerians who gather peacefully to demand their legitimate entitlements should be protected rather than subjected to force.
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