The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights on Tuesday condemned the reported use of tear gas and force against pensioners protesting on Monday over unpaid pensions, gratuities and other entitlements at the Lagos State House of Assembly.
The rights group, in a statement signed by its National President, Yinka Folarin, and General Secretary, Idris Afees, described the alleged action against the elderly protesters as “inhumane, unacceptable and a serious affront to human dignity.”
The pensioners were reportedly at the Assembly complex on Monday to demand the payment of their outstanding entitlements after years of service to the Lagos State Government.
Reacting to reports of the protest, the CDHR said, “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 reports and images from the protest were disturbing, particularly because the demonstrators were senior citizens demanding what they were entitled to after retirement.
“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 group stated.
The CDHR urged the state government, led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to urgently engage the pensioners and take practical steps to settle all verified outstanding pensions, gratuities and allowances.
It also called on the government to publish a “clear, transparent and time-bound payment schedule” for the settlement of the outstanding entitlements.
The rights group demanded an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the reported teargassing of the protesters and urged the government to make the outcome public.
It further appealed to the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to exercise restraint and professionalism in handling peaceful protests.
“Security personnel must always remember that their primary responsibility is to protect the lives, dignity and rights of the people,” the CDHR said.
The organisation argued that Lagos, being one of Nigeria’s economically viable states, had no justification for allowing retirees to suffer hardship while awaiting their benefits.
It also urged the state government to engage directly with representatives of the pensioners “without intimidation or harassment.”
The CDHR warned that failure to address the grievances of pensioners and the alleged use of force against them could undermine public confidence and the 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,” the group stated.
The rights organisation also called on human rights groups, labour unions, professional bodies and other Nigerians to support the pensioners in their demand for justice.
Tear gas reportedly disrupted the pensioners’ protest in Alausa, Lagos, on Monday, prompting human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) to demand the arrest and prosecution of the officers involved.
The pensioners were reported to have gathered at the Lagos State Government Secretariat and the House of Assembly complex to press for outstanding pension adjustments and wage awards before the police intervention dispersed the protest.
The development 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 said remained unpaid.