A coalition of civil society organizations in Lagos has condemned the reported teargassing of peaceful pensioners demanding their unpaid entitlements and the Lagos State Police Command’s subsequent denial of the incident.
The coalition, which includes Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, the #EndBadGovernance Movement, Precision, Electrical and Related Equipment Senior Staff Association, Committee for the Defence of Human Rights Lagos State, Joint Action Front, Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, and Centre for Human & Socio-economic Rights, demanded an independent investigation into the assault and alleged attempts to conceal what happened.
Members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, including retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme, had gathered at the Lagos State House of Assembly on August 31, 2026, following the expiration of a 19-day ultimatum over unpaid pension increases, wage awards and arrears.
According to the coalition, their peaceful demonstration was disrupted when police officers fired tear gas at them, forcing elderly citizens to flee for safety.
The organizations described the reported attack on elderly pensioners as cruel, unacceptable, disgraceful, and an indefensible abuse of state power.
“These are citizens who spent decades working and contributing to society. They came out peacefully to demand payment of benefits they are legally and morally entitled to but were rewarded with tear gas,” the coalition said.
The groups expressed disturbance over the reported denial by Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer SP Abimbola Adebisi that the pensioners were teargassed, despite eyewitness accounts including that of a pensioners’ leader.
“If the Police Command cannot acknowledge misconduct involving its own officers, how can ordinary citizens trust it to protect them?” the coalition asked.
Several eyewitnesses, including the Deputy Chairman of the Nigerian Pensioners Practitioners of Lagos State, Mr. Latif Salau, have narrated their ordeal to the media, with Salau stating that a senior police officer subsequently apologized after the attack and offered the pensioners sachet water and biscuits.
The coalition also referenced news reports of Mr. Tayo Ayinde, Chief of Staff to the Lagos State Governor, apologizing for the teargassing of the retirees.
“If the teargassing did not occur, as the police claim, why would an officer apologize to the protesters afterwards?” the statement questioned.
The organizations called on the Police Service Commission to urgently examine the conduct of the PRO, stating that if she is found to have deliberately misrepresented or concealed facts about the alleged assault, she should not remain in that position.
The coalition drew attention to what it described as repeated repression of civil rights in Lagos, recalling that on January 28, 2026, residents peacefully protesting illegal demolitions and forced evictions were subjected to a violent police crackdown under then-Commissioner of Police Moshood Jimoh.
“How many peaceful protesters must be attacked before the government admits that there is a systemic problem in the police leadership?” the coalition asked.
The organizations called on the Inspector-General of Police to immediately set up an internal mechanism to review the operation of the Lagos State Police Command, and for retraining of officers on the rights of peaceful protesters, proportionality, de-escalation and appropriate use of force.
They recommended that officers found to have authorized or used unlawful force against peaceful and vulnerable protesters undergo professional and psychological fitness assessments and face disciplinary action.
The coalition also called on the media to resist intimidation and publicly stand by their reports on the incident.
Turning to the pensioners’ demands, the coalition said the Lagos State Government must stop treating pension payments as an act of generosity.
Under the Defined Benefit Scheme, pensioners are demanding 57 months of arrears from the 2019 consequential adjustment, 12 months of arrears from the 20 and 28 percent increases approved in 2024, and the N32,000 wage award effective from January 2024.
Under the Contributory Pension Scheme, they are seeking unpaid increases dating back to 2010, subsequent adjustments and the N32,000 wage award.
The coalition questioned why the dispute persists despite rising federal allocations to the state, citing published analysis showing Lagos received N365.78 billion in FAAC disbursements in the first half of 2026, up 54.39 percent from N236.92 billion in the same period of 2025.
“The Sanwo-Olu administration must explain how these additional funds are being spent and why pension obligations remain unmet,” the statement said.
The coalition noted that pensioners’ representatives report that some members have died awaiting payment, warning that further delays threaten elderly retirees already struggling to afford food, housing and medical care.
The organizations demanded that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu meet the pensioners directly, condemn the police assault, pay undisputed arrears immediately and publish a clear, time-bound and enforceable schedule for settling all outstanding claims.
They also called on the National Pension Commission and other relevant bodies to engage the Lagos State Government and pensioner representatives to resolve the issues.
The coalition reminded the Lagos State Government and the Nigeria Police Force that Sections 39 and 40 of the Constitution protect freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, while Section 210 provides constitutional protection for pension rights.
“Pensioners have every right to peacefully demand that government fulfil its obligations. They must not be intimidated, humiliated or silenced for doing so,” the coalition said.
Meanwhile, the Youth Rights Campaign (YRC) noted it obtained footage which showed teargas being fired directly at the protesting pensioners during the protest.
According to the group, several pensioners who spoke to journalists also testified that they were teargassed, while eyewitnesses and video footage allegedly showed some protesters gasping for breath, collapsing and being taken to hospital.
