Police fire tear gas at pensioners protesting arrears at Lagos House
1st September, 2026 | News
Police Fire Teargas at Pensioners Protesting Unpaid Benefits at Lagos House
Police officers in Lagos State on Monday reportedly fired teargas at pensioners who gathered at Lagos House in Ikeja to protest unpaid pension increases, wage awards and other outstanding benefits.
The protesters, drawn from the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) and the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), were demanding that the Lagos State Government implement approved pension increases and settle arrears they said had accumulated over time.
The protest became tense after police officers deployed teargas to disperse the retirees, forcing some of them away from the government premises.
The demonstration took place on the deadline earlier issued by the pensioners, who had warned that they would stage a larger protest if the government failed to address their grievances, particularly concerns over pension adjustments and wage awards.
The pensioners’ demand also has a wider policy dimension. The National Pension Commission (PenCom) had previously called on the Lagos State Government to extend periodic pension increases granted to retirees under the Defined Benefit Scheme to those under the Contributory Pension Scheme.
Despite assurances from the state government regarding pension payments, the retirees have continued to complain about unpaid increases and other benefits.
The Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC) previously stated that the government had paid about ₦168 billion to approximately 48,000 pensioners.
However, the protesters maintain that outstanding increases and benefits remain unresolved, leaving many retirees under financial pressure amid rising living costs.
Monday’s incident has added a new dimension to the dispute, with the pensioners questioning the use of teargas against them during the demonstration.
As of the time of reporting, neither the Lagos State Government nor the police had issued an official statement on the incident.