, Nigeria, has fully endorsed the renewed advocacy IGP Egbetokun Orders 50% Crime Reduction ){kind=link}
The International Human Rights Commission (IHRC), Nigeria, has fully endorsed the renewed advocacy IGP Egbetokun Orders 50% Crime Reduction by Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun for a comprehensive overhaul of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) as it pertains to retired officers of the Nigeria Police Force.
In a diplomatic memo addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and titled “A Diplomatic Appeal for Police Pension Welfare Reform in Line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the IHRC highlighted the urgency of correcting what it described as a gross constitutional and moral failure in the current pension framework for retired police officers.
In a statement issued on Saturday and signed by its Head of Media and Strategic Communications, Fidelis Onakpoma, the commission emphasized that the CPS, in its current form, constitutes a breach of constitutional provisions guaranteeing dignity and adequate social security for public officers.
Speaking on the matter, the Head of Mission of IHRC Nigeria, Ambassador Duru Hezekiah, expressed strong support for the Inspector-General’s continued advocacy. “The commission firmly backs the IGP’s push for a just, equitable, and constitutionally compliant pension scheme for retired police officers.
“We call on President Tinubu to swiftly intervene in correcting the structural injustices embedded in the current Contributory Pension Scheme,” he stated.
Citing key constitutional provisions—specifically Sections 17(3)(f) and 34(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended)—the IHRC reminded the government of its binding obligation to uphold the welfare and dignity of retired officers.
The commission stressed that this responsibility is currently being neglected, leaving many retired police officers to suffer in poverty and neglect.
“The Constitution mandates the Nigerian state to safeguard the wellbeing of its retired officers—not to cast them aside under a flawed system,” the IHRC asserted. “The present structure of the CPS as it applies to the police is unjust, inadequate, and inconsistent with the nation’s core constitutional values.”
The IHRC further highlighted the real-world implications of the pension crisis, noting that thousands of retired officers are languishing in hardship, with little to no support despite dedicating decades of service—often in perilous and high-risk conditions—to national security.
“These men and women served their country with honour. They should not be forced into retirement with indignity and despair,” the commission added.
This urgent intervention from the IHRC comes in the wake of a strategic meeting convened by the IGP on July 1, 2025, at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
The meeting was attended by representatives from the National Association of Retired Police Officers of Nigeria (NARPO), led by retired AIG Paul O. Ochonu, and the Coalition of CPS Retirees, led by retired CP Henry Njoku.
During the meeting, IGP Egbetokun reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to pursuing a pension structure that is not only just but also practically suited to the unique risks and sacrifices inherent in police work.
“Our retirees deserve dignity, adequate support, and a pension scheme that reflects the realities of their profession. We cannot, in good conscience, continue to subject them to a system that is fundamentally unjust and unfit,” he declared.
Egbetokun’s passionate stance during the July meeting echoed his earlier criticisms of the CPS in February, when he engaged retired officers at the Police Resource Centre in Abuja. On that occasion, he described the CPS as “deeply flawed and unfit for the realities of policing in Nigeria.”
Adding weight to the IGP’s concerns, the IHRC also pointed out the glaring disparity between military and police retirees. While the military has been exempted from the CPS and granted a more fitting pension structure, police retirees remain trapped in a scheme that offers no realistic protection in old age.
“The exclusion of military personnel from the CPS is an acknowledgment of the dangerous nature of their service. That same logic—if not more—applies to the police force. Our officers face life-threatening situations every day, yet their retirement benefits do not reflect this reality. This is a grave injustice,” Ambassador Hezekiah stated.
The commission urged the federal government to take immediate action in line with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which promises better governance, equity, and social justice for all Nigerians.
According to the IHRC, addressing the shortcomings of the police pension system is not just a policy priority—it is a constitutional and moral imperative.
“Reforming the CPS for police retirees is long overdue. This is not merely an administrative issue; it speaks to the soul of our justice system and national security. The current government has a historic opportunity to correct this injustice and restore dignity to the men and women who have served and protected this nation,” the statement concluded.