Tear Gas at Alausa: Elderly Lagos Pensioners Collapse as Police Disperse Protest

Falana condemns “provocative breach”, Sanwo-Olu schedules Thursday meeting with retirees

It ended in chaos and tears.

Hundreds of elderly Lagos State pensioners who gathered on Monday, August 31, 2026 to demand unpaid pension adjustments and wage awards at the Alausa Secretariat and House of Assembly were dispersed with tear gas, with at least one retiree seen collapsing to the ground.

Photos from the scene showed a frail woman on the pavement receiving first aid from a paramilitary officer as others scattered in confusion.

—WE JUST WANTED OUR MONEY—

The retirees, mostly under the Contributory Pension Scheme, have been locked in a prolonged dispute with the Lagos State Government over consequential adjustments to pensions and outstanding wage awards they say remain unpaid.

They marched to press their demands directly. Instead, they met police resistance.

Chairman of the Lagos NUP CPS, Michael Omisande, said several hundreds participated and the protest achieved its immediate objective despite the disruption.

According to him, representatives of the Lagos Commissioner of Police later met the pensioners and apologised. The Chief of Staff to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was out of the state, also met the protesters and invited them back to Alausa on Thursday for a direct meeting with the governor.

—FALANA: “POLICE VIOLATED THE LAW”—

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN condemned the police action, calling it a violation of constitutionally protected rights.

“The violent disruption of the peaceful rally of pensioners at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos State is a complete violation of the rights of the protesters to assemble and protest against the failure of the Lagos State Government to pay their pension as and when due,” Falana said in a statement on Monday.

He cited the Court of Appeal judgment in _Inspector General of Police v All Nigerian People Party (2008)_, where Justice Adekeye JCA held: _“A rally or placard carrying demonstration has become a form of expression of views on current issues… It will not only be primitive but also retrogressive if Nigeria continues to require a pass to hold a rally.”_

Falana also referenced Section 4 of the Nigeria Police Force Establishment Act 2020, which mandates officers to provide security for peaceful gatherings, and Section 83(4), which he said was breached.

“We call on the Inspector-General of Police to arrest and prosecute the police officers who violently disrupted the peaceful rally and thereby inflicted intentional physical bodily injury on the protesters without any legal justification whatsoever,” he said.

—PENCOM STEPS IN—

The National Pension Commission on Monday confirmed it has opened talks with the Lagos State Government and LASPEC to resolve delays in pension increases for CPS retirees.

“PenCom recognises the importance of ensuring that retirees receive all benefits legitimately due to them and appreciates the concerns arising from delays in the implementation of any approved pension adjustments,” the commission said.

PenCom explained that implementing increases requires determining eligibility, applicable adjustments, actuarial liability, funding, and instructions to PFAs. It did not give a timeline.

The commission said it would continue to work with the state government, LASPEC, PFAs and pensioners’ representatives toward “a transparent, orderly, and sustainable resolution.”

—WHAT HAPPENS NEXT—

With the Governor’s Office now involved, pensioner representatives are expected to meet Governor Sanwo-Olu on Thursday at Alausa to present their demands directly.

For many retirees, the meeting is their last hope for relief after years of waiting. For others, Monday’s tear gas remains a painful reminder of how far they had to go to be heard.

Key demands: Payment of outstanding pension increases, consequential adjustments, and wage awards for CPS retirees in Lagos State.

[Additional reports from THE PUNCH]