Police Tear-Gas Lagos Pensioners During Protest Over Pension Arrears, Wage Awards

Police officers on Monday reportedly tear-gassed pensioners protesting at the Lagos House, Ikeja, over the non-payment of pension arrears, pension increases and other outstanding benefits.

The protesters, comprising members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) and retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme, stormed the Lagos House to demand immediate action on their outstanding entitlements.

The pensioners called for the implementation of pension increases and wage awards, as well as the payment of accumulated pension arrears and other benefits they said were being owed to them.

Carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs, the retirees expressed frustration over what they described as prolonged delays in addressing their demands.

The protest reportedly became tense when police officers moved to disperse the pensioners, eventually firing tear gas at the demonstrators.

The action forced some of the retirees to scamper for safety, while others remained at the scene and continued to demand answers from the authorities.

The pensioners condemned the use of tear gas against them, insisting that they were peacefully exercising their rights by demanding payment of benefits they had earned after years of service.

They appealed to the Lagos State Government to urgently intervene and resolve the issues surrounding their pension arrears, wage awards and other outstanding payments.

The protesters also called for meaningful engagement between the government and pension representatives, urging the authorities to address their grievances through dialogue rather than force.

The demonstration highlights the continuing concerns among retirees over delayed pension payments and the impact of rising living costs on pensioners who rely heavily on their monthly entitlements.

The pensioners vowed to continue demanding the implementation of their entitlements until the outstanding issues are resolved.