The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights has condemned the reported use of tear gas against Lagos pensioners protesting unpaid retirement benefits at the Lagos State House of Assembly in Alausa, Lagos, on Monday, August 31, 2026, demanding an investigation into the incident and urgent payment of verified pension arrears, gratuities and wage awards.

The condemnation, issued on Tuesday, September 1, came after retired public servants gathered at Lagos House and the Lagos State House of Assembly to press the Lagos State Government over outstanding pension adjustments, wage awards and other entitlements.

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The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, through National President Yinka Folarin and General Secretary Idris Afees, described the reported treatment of the elderly protesters as “inhumane, unacceptable and a serious affront to human dignity”.

“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 organisation said.

The reported deployment of tear gas has intensified an already prolonged dispute between Lagos retirees and the state government.

The pensioners had set August 31 as a deadline for the government to address their demands after months of complaints over delayed pension adjustments and wage awards.

The retirees’ demands are not limited to a single payment.

Under the Defined Benefit Scheme, pension representatives have cited 57 months of arrears relating to the 2019 consequential adjustment, as well as 12 months of arrears arising from the 20 per cent and 28 per cent pension increases approved in 2024.

They have also demanded implementation of the N32,000 wage award for state pensioners, effective from January 2024. Pensioners under the Contributory Pension Scheme have separately raised concerns about pension increases dating back several years.

The dispute had been building well before Monday’s confrontation.

In August, the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Contributory Pension Scheme, Lagos State Council, gave Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu a 19-day ultimatum over the delayed implementation of pension enhancement and wage awards.

The union later set August 31 for a larger demonstration after earlier engagements failed to produce the outcome retirees wanted.

Michael Omisande, chairman of the Lagos State NUPCPS, said the union had submitted a template to the state government in January 2026 for implementation of the pension enhancement.

The Lagos State Pension Commission subsequently indicated that an actuary would be engaged to determine the financial implications of the adjustment.

The Lagos State Government has previously presented a different account of the dispute.

In response to the pensioners’ earlier ultimatum, the government said it had not received federal funds for the increase and was funding the additional liability for eligible state pensioners from its own resources.

It also said eligible pensioners under the Defined Benefits Scheme had already received the approved increase, while the process for Contributory Pension Scheme retirees was continuing because of the need to establish the state’s financial exposure.

The government said an independent actuary had been engaged to assess that liability and provide a basis for implementation.

The Lagos State Pension Commission has also pointed to the state’s wider record of pension payments.

LASPEC said the government had paid N168.2 billion to more than 48,000 retirees from 2007 to date, including N92 billion in accrued rights to more than 25,000 retirees since Sanwo-Olu assumed office in May 2019.

For the pensioners, however, those figures have not resolved the immediate question of outstanding adjustments and benefits.

The latest confrontation has now attracted intervention from the National Pension Commission.

PenCom said on Monday that it had opened discussions with the Lagos State Government and LASPEC over concerns surrounding pension increases and wage awards for eligible retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme.

PenCom said implementation of pension enhancements requires several steps, including determining eligibility, assessing actuarial liabilities, securing funding and providing the necessary data and instructions to pension operators.

The commission said it would continue engaging the relevant stakeholders towards a transparent and sustainable resolution.

The reported use of tear gas has nevertheless shifted attention beyond the payment dispute to the treatment of elderly citizens exercising their right to protest.

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has separately called for the arrest and prosecution of the police officers allegedly involved in dispersing the retirees.

Reports from the protest said the use of tear gas forced some pensioners away from the government premises and heightened tension at the scene.

The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights has similarly called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident and for the findings to be made public.

The organisation also urged security agencies to exercise restraint and professionalism when managing peaceful demonstrations.

“Those who wear uniforms today must recognise that retirement is a reality that awaits every worker,” the group said, arguing that vulnerable senior citizens should not be treated with brutality while demanding benefits earned through years of public service.

The incident has therefore placed renewed pressure on the Lagos State Government to resolve the financial dispute while also addressing questions over how Monday’s protest was handled.

For the retirees, the issue is ultimately about more than figures and administrative procedures.

After decades in public service, they are demanding access to benefits they regard as earned entitlements.

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With PenCom now engaging Lagos officials and the controversy over the reported use of tear gas drawing demands for accountability, the coming discussions could prove critical in determining whether the long-running pension dispute moves towards a credible resolution.