Sack CP Tijani, other officers over attack on Lagos pensioners — #EndBadGovernance Movement
By Ishaya Ibrahim
The #EndBadGovernance group has called for the arrest and dismissal of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Fatai, over the alleged attack on elderly pensioners during a protest on August 31.
The pensioners were protesting the delayed implementation of pension increases and wage awards, as well as outstanding pension arrears. They were, however, teargassed by police officers during the protest at the Lagos State House of Assembly in Alausa.
In a statement signed by Oloye Adegboyega-Adeniji and Hassan Taiwo Soweto on behalf of the #EndBadGovernance Lagos Chapter, the group condemned the use of teargas by officers of the Lagos State Police Command against the protesting pensioners.
The group said it was outrageous that elderly Nigerians who had spent decades working and serving the state could be subjected to such violence simply for demanding what was rightfully theirs.
“These are not criminals. They are retirees demanding the payment of their entitlements in the face of a brutal cost-of-living crisis,” the group said.
It added: “We declare our solidarity with Lagos State pensioners and call on the Lagos State Government to immediately issue an unreserved public apology to them over this unprovoked and inexcusable assault.
“We also call on the government to immediately meet their demands and resolve all outstanding issues concerning pension increases, wage awards, arrears and other legitimate entitlements.”
The group particularly condemned what it described as the conduct of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Fatai, and the officers under his command.
It called for the dismissal of the commissioner and arrest of police officers who were involved in the attack.
It said: “The police are constitutionally obligated to protect citizens exercising their rights, not attack them. Nothing the Nigerian police offers as an excuse or explanation can justify this. We hereby demand the immediate sack of the Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, and the arrest and prosecution of all police personnel involved in this condemnable assault on the rights to freedom of assembly and in particular on elderly people who gave their prime to public service and thereby do not deserve to be treated in this manner.
“We are however worried about the consistent pattern of assault on civil liberties and utter disregard for citizens right on the part of the Lagos state police command aided and abetted by the Lagos state government.
“Indeed, what happened on Monday 31st August 2026 bears a disturbing resemblance to the police assault on peaceful protesters during the January 28 anti-eviction protest in Alausa. On January 28, protesters gathered peacefully to oppose the forced eviction and demolition of working-class communities. Rather than protect their right to peaceful assembly, the police deployed teargas and excessive force against protesters and passersby, with several people requiring medical attention. Protesters were arrested and their equipment and personal belongings were seized. Yesterday, pensioners demanding their unpaid entitlements have suffered a similar fate. This is not a coincidence; it is a pattern.
“Among the 36 states of the federation and the FCT, the APC-led government in Lagos has become the biggest threat to civil liberties in the country. From young activists protesting against anti-poor policies to elderly pensioners demanding their legitimate entitlements, the response of the Lagos state government and security apparatus increasingly appears to be: deploy the police, disperse the people and criminalize dissent. This is completely unacceptable under a civil rule.
“The reality is that the right to peaceful assembly is under serious and growing threat in Lagos State. We hereby urge Amnesty International, human rights groups and people of good conscience to beam their searchlight on Lagos state in order to arrest this dangerous drift into authoritarianism in Lagos state.
“We also demand the setting up of an independent and democratically-constituted panel of inquiry to forensically investigate the conduct of the Lagos state police command when it comes to management of public protest and demonstrations in the state especially since August 1st 2024 till now. The panel must review incidents of police violence, arrests, intimidation, use of teargas and other excessive force against peaceful protesters, including the January 28 anti-eviction protest and today’s (August 31, 2026) attack on pensioners. The panel must also identify officers and authorities responsible for violations and recommend appropriate disciplinary and criminal sanctions.
“We conclude by saying that the repeated deployment of combat-ready police personnel against peaceful protest is incompatible with civil rule. The Nigeria Police Force need to evolve clear operational directives that protects peaceful assembly while ensuring that police officers facilitate, rather than suppress, lawful protests. Today it is pensioners, yesterday it was anti-eviction protesters, tomorrow it could be any Nigerian who dares to question government policy.”
