Retired Police Officers Decry Neglect, Meagre Pensions After Decades of Service

A retired Inspector of the Nigeria Police Force, Sambo Bello, has voiced deep frustration over what he described as neglect and poor treatment of retired officers. In a video obtained by Nigeria News 247, Bello, visibly distressed and wearing a sweat-soaked brown outfit, revealed he was paid only ₦2.2 million as gratuity and has received a monthly pension of just ₦20,000 since his retirement in 2014.

“I am a retired inspector with the Nigerian police. I retired in 2014. The Nigerian police paid me a gratuity of ₦2.2 million, and since then, I have been receiving a monthly pension of ₦20,000. I have been retired for 11 years now,” Bello said.

Bello stated that no additional support or benefits have been offered to him by the National Pension Commission (PENCOM). “I was not given anything except the money paid as gratuity,” he added.

His story reflects a broader crisis affecting many retired security personnel in Nigeria, who complain of inadequate pensions, delays in disbursements, and a lack of comprehensive welfare provisions despite years—often decades—of national service.

Bello’s plight is not isolated.

On June 22, Nigeria News 247 published a viral video of another retired officer—a Superintendent of Police—who angrily rejected his retirement benefit of ₦2 million after serving the nation for 35 years. The former SP, who retired on October 1, 2023, said the Police Pension Board recently contacted him to say he would be paid ₦3 million: ₦1 million in arrears and ₦2 million as his full entitlement.

“What for?” the ex-officer asked in the video. “I served my country wholeheartedly. I cannot serve this country for 35 good years and be paid just ₦2 million. The devil is a liar.”

Reacting to the growing outrage, Nigerian human rights activist Omoyele Sowore condemned the system as “utterly wicked.”

In a Facebook post, Sowore wrote: “A retired Inspector of Police who retired in 2014 has just collected ₦2.2 million gratuity since he retired and is receiving ₦20,000 monthly as pension. A Commissioner of Police is receiving ₦80,000 per month. It is an utterly wicked system of deprivation.”

Sowore’s comments highlight mounting public concern over the treatment of retired officers, many of whom face financial hardship after long years of service.

Despite repeated calls for reform, retired officers continue to demand fair compensation, better pension structures, and a more dignified end to their careers in public service.