Retired Police Officers Urge Tinubu to Sign Exit Bill

Retired officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have appealed to President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday to sign the Police Exit Bill into law to improve their welfare in retirement.

The retired officers, under the auspices of the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria, decried that they had been suffering after retirement, citing their pensions and gratuities as meagre.

The National Coordinator of the Police Retired Officers Forum, CSP Raphael Irowainu (retd), said the retirees were suffering under the force’s current Contributory Pension Scheme.

According to him, over 30,000 members of the forum wanted exemption from the Contributory Pension Scheme, as had been granted to their counterparts in other federal security agencies.

He said, “This press conference is conceived passionately to urge President Bola Tinubu to graciously give assent to the Police Exit Bill that will ultimately exempt the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme.”

Irowainu stated that the Police Exit Bill had been passed by the National Assembly in December 2025 and had since been transmitted to Tinubu for assent, urging the President to give the assent in the interest of fairness, justice and national security.

“This bill is not merely a welfare reform; it is a strategic national security investment whose benefits will be felt across every community, state, and all sectors of the Nigerian Federation.

“Our position remains unchanged, unwavering and non-negotiable — total exit from PENCOM and restoration of pension justice for retired police officers. This struggle is not about privilege but about justice, equity, fair play and human dignity. The Nigerian Police Force cannot continue to protect the nation while the nation fails to protect them in retirement.

“This bill is not merely a welfare reform; it is a strategic national security investment whose benefits will be felt across every community, state and sector of the Nigerian Federation. Officers who are uncertain about their future after retirement cannot be expected to perform optimally while in service.

“A motivated police force performs better in crime prevention and intelligence operations. Financial security after service encourages integrity during service, while officers who trust their future fight harder to secure the nation’s present,” he stated.

The retirees insisted that exiting the CPS should be viewed as a long-term investment capable of improving professionalism, reducing corruption and enhancing public confidence in law enforcement institutions.

“No investment produces more sustainable national stability than one directed at the welfare of those entrusted with safeguarding lives and property,” Irowainu said.

The group threatened to embark on a nationwide peaceful protest if the bill was not signed into law before June 22, 2026.