CSOs condemn tear-gassing of protesting Lagos pensioners, calls police denial shameful
By Ishaya Ibrahim
Civil society organisations in Lagos have condemned the Lagos State Police Command for denying that its officers tear-gassed protesting pensioners, describing the denial as an attempt to conceal an assault on elderly citizens demanding payment of their outstanding entitlements.
The pensioners were tear-gassed by police officers on Monday, August 31, 2026, during a peaceful demonstration at the Lagos State House of Assembly over unpaid pension increases, wage awards and arrears.
The protesters, who included members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners and retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme, had gathered at the Assembly following the expiration of a 19-day ultimatum issued to the Lagos State Government over the outstanding payments.
The police action forced the elderly protesters to flee as tear gas was fired at the gathering.
However, the Lagos State Police Command, through its spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, denied that the pensioners were tear-gassed.
The denial has drawn strong condemnation from a coalition of civil society organisations, which said eyewitness accounts and the subsequent actions of police officers contradicted the command’s position.
In a statement signed by Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), #EndBadGovernance Movement, Lagos State, Precision, Electrical and Related Equipment Senior Staff Association (PERESSA), Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Lagos State, Joint Action Front (JAF), Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights (CDWR), Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), and Centre for Human & Socio-economic Rights (CHSR), the groups demanded an independent investigation into the incident.
The organisations described the use of tear gas against the pensioners as “cruel, unacceptable, disgraceful” and an abuse of state power.
“These are citizens who spent decades working and contributing to society,” the groups said, stressing that the retirees had assembled peacefully to demand benefits they were legally and morally entitled to receive.
The CSOs also questioned the police command’s decision to deny the incident despite eyewitness testimony, including an account by Mr. Latif Salau, Deputy Chairman of the Nigerian Pensioners Practitioners of Lagos State.
According to Salau, a senior police officer apologised to the pensioners after the incident and offered them sachet water and biscuits.
The CSOs asked why a police officer would apologise to the protesters after the confrontation if, as the command claimed, no tear gas had been fired.
“If the teargassing did not occur, as the police claim, why would an officer apologise to the protesters afterwards?” the organisations asked.
They also cited reports that Mr. Tayo Ayinde, Chief of Staff to the Lagos State Governor, apologised for the incident while absolving the Lagos State Government of responsibility for the tear-gassing.
The organisations said the conflicting accounts made an independent investigation imperative.
They further called on the Police Service Commission to investigate the conduct of the police spokesperson, arguing that any deliberate misrepresentation or concealment of facts by an officer communicating on behalf of the police would undermine public confidence in the institution.
The CSOs said the incident was particularly disturbing because the protesters were elderly citizens who posed no threat.
“What threat did these pensioners pose? Were they armed? Were they violent?” the groups asked.
They argued that the police should have prioritised dialogue and de-escalation rather than deploying force against vulnerable retirees exercising their right to peaceful protest.
The coalition also linked Monday’s incident to what it described as a pattern of police repression of peaceful demonstrations in Lagos.
The groups recalled that on January 28, 2026, residents protesting alleged illegal demolitions and forced evictions at the Lagos State House of Assembly were subjected to a police crackdown.
They alleged that the then Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, ordered officers to fire tear gas at protesters and also participated in beating citizens during the demonstration.
According to the organisations, the latest incident raises concerns about whether the police command has learnt the lessons of previous confrontations between security forces and protesters.
They cited the #EndSARS protests of 2020 and the #EndBadGovernance protests of 2024 as examples of previous nationwide unrest in which the use of force against demonstrators generated widespread criticism.
The CSOs called on the Inspector-General of Police to establish an internal mechanism to review the operation of the Lagos State Police Command, particularly the responsibility of senior officers for discipline and conduct during public-order operations.
They also demanded retraining for police officers in the command on the rights of peaceful protesters, proportionality, de-escalation and the appropriate use of force.
Officers found to have authorised or used unlawful force against the pensioners, they said, should face disciplinary action and appropriate professional and psychological fitness assessments.
Beyond the police action, the organisations renewed their demand for the Lagos State Government to settle the pensioners’ outstanding entitlements.
They accused the government of treating pension payments as an act of generosity rather than recognising them as earned benefits owed to retirees who spent their working lives in public service.
Under the Defined Benefit Scheme, the pensioners are demanding 57 months of arrears arising from the 2019 consequential adjustment, 12 months of arrears from the 20 and 28 per cent increases approved in 2024, as well as the N32,000 wage award effective from January 2024.
Those under the Contributory Pension Scheme are seeking unpaid increases dating back to 2010, subsequent adjustments and the N32,000 wage award.
The organisations also questioned why the pension obligations remained outstanding despite increased federal allocations to Lagos State.
They cited published figures showing that Lagos received N365.78 billion in FAAC disbursements during the first half of 2026, representing a 54.39 per cent increase from the N236.92 billion received during the corresponding period of 2025.
The CSOs urged the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to explain how the additional revenue had been deployed and why pension obligations remained unpaid.
They said pensioners’ representatives had reported that some retirees had died while waiting for their outstanding payments, warning that continued delays could have severe consequences for elderly citizens struggling with food, housing and healthcare costs.
The groups called on Sanwo-Olu to meet directly with the pensioners, condemn the police assault, pay undisputed arrears immediately and publish a clear and time-bound plan for settling all outstanding claims.
They also urged the National Pension Commission and other relevant institutions to intervene by engaging both the state government and pensioners’ representatives to resolve the dispute.
The coalition further appealed to the media to resist intimidation or undue influence and stand by reports of the incident, saying journalists who documented the events should not be discredited for reporting what happened.
The organisations maintained that the pensioners’ right to protest was protected by the Constitution and that elderly citizens should not be intimidated or subjected to violence for demanding payment of their entitlements.
They called for accountability over the tear-gassing and urged the authorities to ensure that the pensioners’ outstanding claims were resolved without further delay.
