RULAAC demands transparency in police pension probe, says officers don’t deserve retirement into penury

The Rule of Law Accountability and Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has urged the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to insist on a transparent probe of police pension.

RULAAC, in a statement by its Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said while Egbetokun’s order for a probe of police pension was commendable, it should be done with sincerity and transparency and not turned into a public relations stunt.

Egbetokun recently ordered a probe of police pension following a viral video of a retired officer who lamented that after 35 years of service, his pension was N2 million.

Nwanguma argued that a broken police force can’t be reformed if those who retire are left to beg or die in frustration.

The statement reads in full: “The recent order by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to investigate the outrageous pension payout of ₦2 million to a retired police officer has, understandably, drawn significant public attention. But for this investigation to be meaningful, it must go beyond public relations. It must be guided by sincerity of purpose, transparency, accountability, and justice.

“The viral video of the aggrieved officer, who retired on October 1, 2023, and was handed a paltry ₦3 million in total — including just ₦2 million as full terminal benefits after decades of service — is not just a personal tragedy. It is a national disgrace. It confirms what many within the police force and civil society have long cried out against: a broken and exploitative pension system that dishonours service and dehumanizes those who risk their lives to protect others.

“It is unacceptable that men and women who served the country for over three decades are sent into retirement with starvation stipends, while senior officials and political elites enjoy obscene benefits. This is not just about one officer. This is about systemic failure, institutional corruption, and entrenched injustice.

“While we acknowledge the IGP’s response as a step in the right direction, we must be clear: this investigation must not be a smokescreen to calm public anger or sweep the matter under the carpet. Nigerians are watching. Retired officers across the country are watching. Civil society will not rest.

We demand:

1. A fully transparent audit of the Nigeria Police Pension Board’s processes, with findings made public.

2. An overhaul of the police pension structure, with equitable, sustainable, and dignified payouts for all retirees.

3. Accountability for any official found to have mismanaged or misappropriated police pension funds.

4. Immediate intervention by the National Assembly to review the legal and policy frameworks governing police pensions and welfare.

5. Inclusion of retired officers’ voices in the review process, particularly those who have been shortchanged or neglected.

“You cannot motivate a serving officer or reform a broken police force if those who retire are left to beg or die in frustration. If we want to build a police force that is professional, accountable, and truly reformed, we must begin by treating its personnel — serving or retired — with dignity, fairness, and justice.

“This is not a favour. It is a right. And justice for one officer is justice for all.”