Pensioners Seek Investigation As Police Deny Using Tear Gas During Protest
The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has called for an investigation into allegations that police officers assaulted and tear-gassed pensioners during a protest in Lagos.
The controversy followed a demonstration by pensioners over outstanding entitlements and other grievances concerning their welfare.
The incident has generated conflicting accounts, with some groups demanding accountability while the Lagos State Police Command has denied firing tear gas at the protesters.
Pensioners Protest In Lagos
The pensioners gathered in Alausa, Ikeja, as they sought attention to issues surrounding pension payments and other outstanding obligations.
Reports indicated that hundreds of pensioners participated in the protest.
The demonstration subsequently attracted criticism after allegations emerged that security personnel used tear gas to disperse the protesters.
The Nigeria Union of Pensioners subsequently demanded that the incident be investigated.
Police Deny Tear-Gassing Protesters
However, the Lagos State Police Command has rejected the allegation.
The command said no tear-gas canister was fired during the protest and described reports suggesting otherwise as false and misleading.
Police spokesperson SP Abimbola Adebisi said approximately 500 pensioners attended the demonstration and that officers were deployed to maintain law and order and protect both the protesters and members of the public.
The police also said a photograph circulating online in connection with the alleged tear-gassing was AI-generated.
The command maintained that its personnel handled the protest professionally.
Human Rights Groups Demand Investigation
Despite the police denial, human rights lawyers and civil society groups have called for an independent investigation into what happened.
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana and activist Omoyele Sowore were among those who condemned what they described as the use of tear gas against elderly pensioners.
Falana called for the arrest and prosecution of officers allegedly involved if investigations establish that force was unlawfully used.
The competing accounts have intensified calls for an impartial inquiry that can establish what actually happened during the demonstration.
Pensioners’ Welfare Remains A Major Issue
The dispute has also renewed attention on the difficulties faced by retired workers across Nigeria.
Many pensioners have repeatedly complained about delayed payments, outstanding entitlements and the erosion of their purchasing power amid rising living costs.
For elderly Nigerians who depend largely on pension payments, prolonged delays can create serious financial difficulties, particularly as food, medicine and healthcare costs continue to rise.
The Lagos protest was therefore not simply about a single payment dispute but formed part of a wider debate over the welfare of retired workers.
Calls For Transparency
The NUP’s demand for an investigation places pressure on authorities to resolve the conflicting accounts.
While the police insist no tear gas was used, pensioner representatives and civil society groups have called for the circumstances surrounding the confrontation to be independently established.
The outcome of any investigation would help determine whether security personnel violated the rights of the protesters or whether the allegations circulating online were inaccurate.