Hundreds of retired police officers and their families staged a protest at the Presidential Villa on Monday, April 20, 2026, blocking the Aso Rock gate to demand that President Bola Tinubu sign the Police Exit Bill into law.
Tension gripped the nation’s seat of power on Monday, April 20, 2026, as hundreds of retired police officers and their family members staged a massive protest at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The retirees, operating under the aegis of the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria (PROF), successfully blocked one of the main gates leading to Aso Rock, effectively disrupting traffic and official movement. The protesters, many of whom are elderly and traveled from across the country, are demanding that President Bola Tinubu immediately assent to the Police Exit Bill, which seeks to remove the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). Chanting solidarity songs and wielding placards with inscriptions like “Police dey work, PenCom dey chop,” the group vowed not to leave until their demands were addressed.
The National Coordinator of PROF, CSP Raphael Irowainu (Rtd), who led the demonstration, described the current pension system as a “fraudulent, illegal, inhumane, and obnoxious” arrangement that has subjected former officers to terminal hardship and poverty. The Bill for an Act to Establish the Nigeria Police Force Pension Board was passed by the National Assembly on December 4, 2025, and was officially transmitted to the Presidency for assent on March 16, 2026. However, the month-long delay in the President’s signature has fueled deep-seated anger among the retirees. Irowainu lamented that while other security agencies such as the Army, Navy, Air Force, and DSS have been exempted from the CPS, the police remain “trapped” in what they termed a “slavery and untimely death-inducing” scheme.
The protest at the Villa gate follows a series of smaller demonstrations across Abuja earlier in the month, signaling a significant escalation in the retirees’ agitation for better welfare. Many of the protesters shared harrowing stories of surviving on meager monthly stipends that fail to cover basic medication or food costs in the face of rising inflation. As of Monday afternoon, security personnel at the Villa had established a cordon to prevent the crowd from advancing further into the complex, though the atmosphere remained charged. The Presidency has yet to issue an official statement regarding the status of the bill, but the retirees have maintained that their occupation of the Villa entrance will continue indefinitely until the legislation is signed into law.
Police Exit Bill Timeline & Status
| Milestone | Date | Action |
|---|---|---|
| National Assembly Passage | December 4, 2025 | Harmonized Bill passed by both Senate and House. |
| Transmission to President | March 16, 2026 | Bill formally sent to Aso Rock for Presidential Assent. |
| Current Protest | April 20, 2026 | PROF-led blockade of Presidential Villa gates. |
| Key Demand | Assent to NPF Pension Board Bill | Exit from Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). |
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