IHRC Backs IGP’s Push For Police Pension Reform, Urges Tinubu To Act

The International Human Rights Commission (IHRC), Nigeria, has expressed strong support for the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, in his ongoing advocacy for a comprehensive reform of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) for retired police officers.

This was disclosed in a diplomatic memo sent to President Bola Tinubu and titled “A Diplomatic Appeal for Police Pension Welfare Reform in Line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

In a statement signed by IHRC’s Head of Media and Strategic Communications, Fidelis Onakpoma, the commission described the current pension scheme for police personnel as a constitutional violation and urged the President to take urgent action to correct it.

The Head of Mission, IHRC, Ambassador Duru Hezekiah, was quoted as saying, “The commission firmly supports the Inspector-General of Police’s ongoing advocacy for a just and equitable pension scheme for retired police officers.

“We call on President Tinubu to urgently address the systemic flaws in the Contributory Pension Scheme, which violate constitutional provisions guaranteeing dignity and adequate social support for public officers.”

Referencing Sections 17(3)(f) and 34(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the IHRC stated that the Nigerian government is constitutionally obligated to ensure the welfare and dignity of its retired officers—an obligation it is currently failing to meet.

According to the commission, thousands of retired police officers live in hardship under a pension system that fails to reflect the dangers and sacrifices of their service.

“The Constitution mandates the state to ensure the wellbeing of retired officers, not to abandon them to a broken system.

“The current structure of the CPS as applied to the police is inadequate, unfair, and incompatible with Nigeria’s constitutional values. These officers spent their lives in service—often in the face of extreme danger—yet they retire into poverty and indignity,” the IHRC stated.

The commission’s remarks follow a high-level meeting convened by the IGP on July 1, 2025, at the Force Headquarters in Abuja. The meeting was attended by representatives of the National Association of Retired Police Officers of Nigeria, led by AIG Paul O. Ochonu (retd.), and the Coalition of CPS Retirees, led by CP Henry Njoku (retd.).

During the session, IGP Egbetokun reaffirmed his commitment to achieving a fairer pension structure for police retirees, describing the current system as a “gross injustice.”

“Our retirees deserve dignity, support, and a structure that reflects their sacrifice and service to Nigeria.

“We cannot continue to subject our heroes to a pension scheme that is clearly unfit for the nature of their work and the risks they bore,” the IGP said.

Egbetokun’s remarks echoed his earlier comments from February, when he described the CPS as “deeply flawed and unfit for the realities of Police service” during an interactive session with retired officers at the Police Resource Centre in Abuja.

The IHRC further raised concerns about the disparity between police and military retirees. While military personnel have been exempted from the CPS and benefit from more favorable pension arrangements, police officers continue to suffer under a system that offers no such relief.

“The military has rightly been removed from the CPS because of the peculiar nature of their job. The same logic applies—if not more so—to police personnel.

“Our police officers risk their lives daily, and they deserve a pension structure that reflects that reality. Anything less is an affront to justice, equity, and national security,” Ambassador Hezekiah added.

In alignment with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the commission called on the Presidency to act without delay in addressing the disparity and fulfilling its constitutional and moral responsibilities to law enforcement officers.

“Reforming the police pension structure is not merely a policy issue—it is a constitutional and moral obligation. We believe this government has the opportunity to right this historical wrong and restore dignity to our Police retirees,” the statement read.