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The Lagos State Police Command has denied reports that officers fired tear gas at pensioners during a protest over outstanding pension adjustments and wage awards at the Lagos State Government Secretariat in Alausa, Ikeja.
The command made the clarification on Tuesday, following reports and images circulated on social media claiming that elderly pensioners were dispersed with tear gas during Monday’s demonstration.
Police spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, described the allegation as false and misleading, insisting that no canister of tear gas was fired throughout the protest.
According to the command, about 500 members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Lagos State Council, gathered at the Lagos State Governor’s Office around 8:30am on August 31 to demand the implementation of pension adjustments and payment of outstanding benefits.
The police said personnel from the Rapid Response Squad, Lagos State Task Force, Eko Strike Force and various divisional headquarters were deployed to maintain law and order and protect the protesters and other members of the public.
The command said the protesters were addressed by the Lagos State Governor’s Chief of Staff, Tayo Akinmade Ayinde, after which the executives of the pensioners’ union proceeded to an indoor meeting at the Governor’s Conference Hall.
According to the police, the meeting lasted about three hours before the protesters peacefully dispersed around 4:30pm, with no adverse incident recorded.
The command also addressed a photograph circulating online which appeared to show pensioners running through a cloud of smoke. Police said the image was generated using artificial intelligence and did not represent what happened at the protest venue.
The police urged members of the public to be cautious about sharing unverified information, warning that misleading reports could create unnecessary tension and undermine confidence in security institutions.
The clarification comes after earlier reports by several media organisations stated that tear gas had been used to disperse pensioners during the protest. Human rights lawyer Femi Falana had subsequently called for the identification and prosecution of officers allegedly involved in the reported incident.
The pensioners had gathered to demand the implementation of pension increases, wage awards and other outstanding benefits. The dispute has continued for some time, with the retirees calling for a clear resolution from the Lagos State Government.
The National Pension Commission has also opened discussions with the Lagos State Government and the Lagos State Pension Commission over concerns surrounding delayed pension adjustments and wage awards for retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme.
The police said Commissioner of Police Tijani Fatai reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and expression while ensuring public safety.
With conflicting accounts surrounding Monday’s protest, the latest police statement provides a different account from the earlier reports alleging that tear gas was used. The reported AI-generated image has also raised concerns about the growing use of fabricated visuals in reporting developing news events.
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Lagos Police deny firing tear gas at pensioners during Monday’s protest and say a viral image claiming to show the incident was AI-generated.
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