Former IGP Usman Baba Claims Nigerian Police Pension Scheme Considers Retirees Deceased After 10 Years, Even if They Are Still Alive
Former IGP Usman Baba Claims Nigerian Police Pension Scheme Considers Retirees Deceased After 10 Years, Even if They Are Still Alive
A former Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, has made startling revelations about the treatment of retired police officers in Nigeria, saying the current pension scheme effectively treats ex-officers as dead a decade after their retirement, even when they are still alive.
In a video interview shared by ESET TV and monitored by FCNN Reporters on YouTube, the former police chief described the pension system for retired officers as exploitative, unjust, and fundamentally broken.
“I think 10 years after retirement, you will be considered dead,” the former IGP stated. “So this is how the scheme has been. And even very senior officers, nobody takes more than N100,000 as monthly pension after retirement.”
Alkali Baba, who led the Nigeria Police Force from April 2021 to June 2023, added that retired officers often receive only a fraction of their contributions and are subjected to systematic denial of entitlements.
“There is no police officer that retires and gets even half of what he has contributed,” he revealed.
“They will give you some percentage, they will keep some percentage which they will invest for you. Then they will also be giving you some token monthly for a period of time, when you will be considered dead, whether you are alive.”
He said the situation had sparked multiple waves of protest over the years, including during his tenure.
“This is not the first time the police are protesting, the retired police officers are protesting,” he said.
“They have even protested during my time, but it’s not to this dimension. Even police contractors have at one time protested. So there are different types of protests coming from time to time.”
The former police boss explained that the rot in the pension structure dates back to the early implementation of the contributory pension scheme.
“When the scheme started, even the armed forces and the intelligence community were all part and parcel of that pension scheme,” he said.
“But after perusing the contents, the military and intelligence realised very early that the scheme is not an oil-fired scheme. It doesn’t help at all. They requested to be exited, and they were permitted to exit during Jonathan’s time.”
However, according to him, when the Nigerian police sought similar exit under the leadership of former IGP, M.D Abubakar, their request was blocked.
“We have even been congratulated that we have exited,” Baba disclosed.
“But incidentally, those in the industry came with another proposal to the government, that the police being the largest contributors, if we exit, the program will fail. And therefore we should be allowed to establish our own pension scheme. And that is how this police pension is created.”
Despite the establishment of a separate pension scheme, the former IGP noted that the hardship continues.
