Retired officers of the Nigeria Police Force on Wednesday staged a dramatic protest at the National Assembly, with some scaling the entrance gate after security personnel blocked their access to the complex.

The retirees—who refer to themselves as “warrior retirees”—are demanding immediate passage of the bill that would allow police officers to exit the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). They insist that all requirements for the bill have been met and accuse the Senate of delaying action.

In videos obtained by SaharaReporters, several retirees were seen climbing over the National Assembly gate while others gathered outside chanting and insisting on meeting Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

According to the protesters, public hearings conducted by both the 9th and 10th National Assemblies overwhelmingly supported removing police officers from the CPS, just as the military, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) had previously exited the scheme.

High Chief Onyeike Chukwuma, a retired Superintendent of Police, described the situation as unacceptable, calling the CPS “genocidal” toward police retirees.

“No country in the world subjects its police retirees to a profit-driven pension scheme after the hazardous nature of their service,” Chukwuma said. He noted that even Chile, whose pension model Nigeria adopted, treats its retired security personnel with greater respect.

The retirees expressed frustration at being denied entry into the complex and insisted that only the Senate President’s intervention could move the bill forward.

“How do we get in? We won’t leave,” one protester said. “Some of our members are at the main gate. We need to go in and see the Senate President. He is the one holding us back. The House of Representatives has already responded to us—only the Senate remains.”

They vowed to continue their protest until the Senate takes decisive action, warning that further delay would amount to injustice against officers who risked their lives defending the country against terrorists, bandits, and other criminal threats.