After Initial Denial, Police Backtrack, Defend Use of Tear Gas on Lagos Pensioners
* CSO decries violent attack, use of tear gas on pensioners
Linus Aleke in Abuja
The Nigeria Police Force has defended the use of tear gas on pensioners in Lagos State during a peaceful protest in the state, saying the law permits the police to use proportionate force to quell any riotous or disorderly gathering.
The defence came barely 12 hours after the Lagos State Police Command denied using tear gas on the pensioners, insisting that pictures circulating online were AI-generated.
According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, Ikeja, SP Abimbola Adebisi, the command said: “The command is particularly concerned about the circulation of a photograph purportedly depicting the alleged tear-gassing of the retirees. The photograph in circulation is AI-generated and does not represent what transpired at the protest venue.”
SP Adebisi also cautioned the public against creating, sharing or amplifying unverified information capable of misleading the public, inciting unnecessary tension or undermining public confidence.
However, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, insisted that the Nigerian Constitution does not give citizens or groups the right to behave disorderly when making representations or expressing their grievances.
Responding to a question during the joint briefing of spokespersons of military, security, intelligence and response agencies in Abuja on Tuesday, CSP Iniedu said: “The next issue concerns the unfortunate incident in Lagos, where pensioners were tear-gassed. Every uniformed personnel looks forward to the day of retirement. It is a beautiful thing to be recognised as a senior citizen after serving your country meritoriously.
“Whether serving or retired, officers in uniform face challenges, just as retired officers do. However, the Nigerian Constitution does not give citizens or groups the right to behave disorderly when making representations or expressing their grievances.
“I am very aware that the Inspector-General of Police, on two occasions, invited the pensioners to his office, where he directed and guided them on the appropriate ways to present their grievances. We have, however, had several breaches involving them. If you recall, earlier in the year, they breached the premises of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
“Within the same period, they blocked several highways in the Federal Capital Territory. The law permits the Nigeria Police Force to use proportionate force in quelling any riotous or disorderly gathering.”
He, however, called on the pensioners to continue to express their grievances and make their demands in an orderly manner, assuring them that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Nigeria Police Force were behind them in pursuing their complaints and representations through the appropriate channels.
On its part, a civil society organisation (CSO), Global Rights, strongly condemned the disruption of a peaceful protest by the Nigeria Union of Pensioners and retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme.
The CSO said it was particularly appalled by the reported use of tear gas by officers of the Nigeria Police Force to disperse the aged pensioners who had gathered at the Governor’s Office, Lagos House, in Ikeja on August 31 to protest the government’s failure to pay their outstanding pension arrears and implement approved pension increases, wage awards and other benefits.
According to a statement by the Executive Director of Global Rights, Abiodun Baiyewu, the CSO said: “Peaceful protest is not a threat to public order. It is a legitimate form of civic participation and an essential component of a democratic society. Citizens must be able to demand accountability from the government without fear of intimidation, harassment, or unnecessary use of force. The reported deployment of tear gas against elderly citizens who were exercising their right to peacefully assemble and express their grievances over issues directly affecting their welfare and dignity in retirement is deeply concerning.”
The incident, she said, reflects a broader pattern of excessive use of force and disproportionate responses to protests in Nigeria.
She recalled that during the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests in August 2024, Nigeria Mourns documented the consistent use of excessive force by security personnel, including the killing of at least 24 protesters and the detention of more than 1,200 people.
“Similarly, in October 2020, security forces responded to the #EndSARS protests with tear gas, water cannons, and live ammunition, with multiple sources documenting killings and injuries among protesters. More recently, the Nigerian Police Force again deployed tear gas and other violent measures to disperse protests in Abuja in October 2025. These recurring incidents should concern every Nigerian,” the statement said.
Baiyewu said the indiscriminate use of force could not continue to be the government’s default response whenever citizens demand accountability or express their grievances through protests.
According to the executive director, “When peaceful citizens are met with force instead of dialogue, the underlying grievances remain unresolved while public trust in government and law enforcement is further eroded. Global Rights reminds the Nigerian Police Force that its responsibility is not simply to maintain order but to do so lawfully, proportionately, and with full respect for human rights. We also remind the police that their primary duty is not to defend politicians, but rather to protect the lives and property of citizens and to maintain public order. Where citizens choose to exercise their right to peaceful protest, the appropriate response should be neutrality and the protection of these vulnerable citizens.
“We therefore call on the Nigerian Police Force to: Investigate the circumstances surrounding the use of tear gas against the pensioners and establish whether the force used was necessary and proportionate. Ensure accountability where officers are found to have acted unlawfully or disproportionately.
“Strengthen training for officers on crowd management, human rights, and the policing of peaceful assemblies. Ensure that the policing of protests prioritises de-escalation, dialogue and negotiation rather than force. Uphold and protect citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly, expression and petition, including when citizens criticise government policies or demand accountability.
“At the heart of this incident are pensioners who were peacefully demanding what they are legally and legitimately owed. The Lagos State Government must engage directly with the affected pensioners and provide a clear, transparent, and timely response to their demands for the outstanding payments. The solution to a pension dispute is not a police operation. It is responsible governance.”
The CSO, therefore, called on the Lagos State Government to urgently address the pensioners’ grievances and communicate clearly with them about the status and timeline for payment.
Nigeria, the statement said, cannot build a democratic society where citizens are encouraged to participate in governance but resisted with force when they actually exercise that participation.
“We must not normalise the use of force against peaceful protesters. It does not solve grievances; it deepens them. It does not strengthen democracy; it weakens public trust. And it does not create order; it risks creating resentment and further alienation.
“We reaffirm our commitment to defending civic space, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and the protection of human rights for all Nigerians,” the statement concluded.