Police officers in Lagos State on Monday fired tear gas at pensioners who had gathered at the Lagos House in Ikeja to protest unpaid pension increases, wage awards, and other outstanding benefits.
The retirees, comprising members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) and the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), had assembled at the government premises to press the Lagos State Government to implement the increases and settle accumulated arrears. The protest came on the date the pensioners had earlier set as a deadline for the government to address their grievances.
Tensions escalated after police officers deployed tear gas, dispersing some of the protesters from the premises. The pensioners have since questioned the decision to use tear gas against them.
The protesters had warned of a larger demonstration on 31 August if the state failed to act on the pension enhancement and wage award. The dispute stems from a disagreement over extending periodic pension increases to CPS retirees, a request previously made by the National Pension Commission (PenCom). While the Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC) has stated that N168 billion has been paid to about 48,000 pensioners, retirees continue to complain about unpaid increases, citing financial strain amid rising living costs.
As of the time of filing this report, the Lagos State Government and the police had not issued a statement on the incident.