Sowore Leads Protest at Police HQ Over Poor Pay, Pensions
- Admin
- Jul 21
- 3 min read
Human rights activist and presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore on Monday, July 21, led a bold protest at the Force Headquarters in Abuja to demand urgent reforms in Nigeria’s police welfare system. The demonstration, marked by placards and chants for justice, spotlighted the long-standing neglect of police officers' salaries, pensions, and general welfare issues critics say lie at the heart of police inefficiency and corruption.
Sowore, who has remained a prominent figure in Nigeria’s civil rights movement, declared that police officers in the country deserve better treatment if they are to serve the people with dignity and integrity.
“You cannot demand professionalism from officers who cannot feed their families, afford decent healthcare, or retire with dignity,” Sowore said while addressing the crowd outside the Force Headquarters.
He emphasized that the protest was not an attack on the police force but a necessary confrontation with a system that continues to underpay and undervalue those tasked with protecting the nation.
The protest drew attention to several critical issues:
Paltry Monthly Salaries: Many Nigerian police officers earn less than ₦50,000 ($30) per month, far below a living wage.
Rotten Pension Structure: Retired officers often wait years for their pensions, with many dying in poverty.
Poor Living Conditions: Barracks across the country are in disrepair, lacking basic amenities like water, electricity, and sanitation.
Lack of Health Insurance: Officers frequently bear out-of-pocket medical costs, pushing families into financial crisis during illness or injury.
These conditions have persisted despite repeated promises of reform from successive governments.
The protest was peaceful but powerful, with placards reading “Police Lives Matter Too,” “Fair Pay for Fair Work,” and “Fix Police Pensions Now.” Several youth and civil society organizations joined the movement, lending their voices to what they described as a fight for justice, not just for the police, but for national stability.
On social media, #FixPolicePay trended on X (formerly Twitter), with Nigerians sharing stories of family members in the police force who have suffered or died due to lack of healthcare or pension access.
Critics argue that the continued underfunding of the police force serves a political purpose: a poorly paid and frustrated police force is more susceptible to manipulation, extortion, and political use.
Sowore, speaking to this issue, said:
“If we truly want a just society, we must begin by treating our security personnel justly. What we have now is organized injustice."
The protest concluded with the submission of a petition to the Inspector General of Police and a call for:
An immediate review of police salary structures.
Automatic enrollment into a contributory pension scheme with timely disbursements.
Comprehensive health insurance coverage for all serving and retired officers.
Decent housing reforms and infrastructure upgrades for police barracks.
Sowore vowed to continue pushing for these demands through legal and civic means until the federal government acts decisively.
Omoyele Sowore’s protest has reignited public discourse on the broken welfare system within the Nigerian Police Force. While some may see it as a political move, many Nigerians recognize it as a necessary wake-up call. Without serious investment in the people who guard the law, national security will remain compromised, and justice will continue to be a mirage for both the police and the people they serve.
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