Nigeria: Police Fire Tear Gas At Pensioners Protesting Arrears At Lagos House

What the report says

Police in Lagos State used tear gas on Monday to break up a protest by pensioners at Lagos House in Ikeja, according to Premium Times as distributed by AllAfrica. The retirees, who said they were demanding payment of pension increases, wage awards and other outstanding benefits, had gathered to press the state government to resolve long-running arrears.

The protest involved members linked to the Nigeria Union of Pensioners and the Contributory Pension Scheme. The article says the group had previously set the day as a deadline for action and had warned of a larger demonstration if the government did not respond. When police dispersed the crowd, some protesters were forced away from the premises, and the pensioners questioned why tear gas was used against them.

The dispute has broader policy implications because pensioner groups have pushed for the extension of periodic increases to retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme, while state officials have said pension obligations are being met. The report cites an earlier LASPEC claim that Lagos had paid N168 billion to about 48,000 pensioners, though the retirees say unpaid adjustments and benefits continue to strain many of them financially. As of the report’s filing, neither the Lagos State Government nor the police had publicly commented on the incident.