The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has condemned the reported use of tear gas and force against pensioners protesting over unpaid pensions, gratuities and other entitlements at the Lagos State House of Assembly.
The rights group, in a statement issued on Tuesday by its National President, Yinka Folarin, and General Secretary, Idris Afees, described the alleged treatment of the elderly protesters as “inhumane, unacceptable and a serious affront to human dignity”.
The pensioners reportedly gathered at the Lagos State Government Secretariat and the House of Assembly complex in Alausa on Monday to demand payment of outstanding pension adjustments, gratuities, wage awards and other benefits owed to them after years of service to the state.
Reacting to the incident, the CDHR said elderly men and women who had devoted their working lives to the Lagos State Government were allegedly dispersed with tear gas while exercising their constitutional right to peaceful assembly and protest.
“Elderly men and women, who dedicated several years of their productive lives to the service of Lagos State, were reportedly dispersed with tear gas while exercising their fundamental right to peaceful assembly and protest,” the organisation said.
The group said reports and images from the protest were particularly disturbing because the demonstrators were senior citizens seeking benefits they believed they had earned through their years of public service.
“Retired public servants are not criminals. Pension is not a favour, charity or privilege; it is a right and an entitlement earned through years of dedicated service,” the CDHR stated.
The organisation urged the Lagos State Government, led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to urgently engage with the pensioners and take practical steps towards settling all verified outstanding pensions, gratuities and allowances.
It also called for the publication of a “clear, transparent and time-bound payment schedule” for clearing the outstanding obligations.
The CDHR further demanded an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the reported use of tear gas against the protesters and urged the government to make the findings public.
It appealed to the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to exercise restraint and professionalism when dealing with peaceful demonstrations.
“Security personnel must always remember that their primary responsibility is to protect the lives, dignity and rights of the people,” the group said.
The rights organisation argued that Lagos, one of Nigeria’s economically stronger states, should not allow retired public servants to experience hardship while waiting for benefits arising from their years of service.
It also urged the government to engage directly with representatives of the pensioners “without intimidation or harassment”.
The CDHR warned that continued failure to address the retirees’ grievances, coupled with the alleged use of force against them, could erode public confidence and undermine principles of social justice.
“Those who wear uniforms today must recognise that retirement is a reality that awaits every worker. It is therefore morally wrong to treat vulnerable senior citizens with brutality simply because they are demanding the benefits they earned,” it stated.
The group called on human rights organisations, labour unions, professional associations and other members of the public to support the pensioners in their demand for justice.
The reported use of tear gas on Monday disrupted the pensioners’ protest in Alausa and prompted human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) to call for the arrest and prosecution of the officers allegedly involved.
The protest came amid a prolonged dispute between retired Lagos public servants and the state government over pension increments, consequential adjustments and wage awards, which the retirees have alleged remain unpaid.
