In the same Nigeria where some lawmakers are barely literate, politically irrelevant, and morally bankrupt, they still walk away with hundreds of millions of naira annually in salaries, allowances, and perks. A retired Superintendent of Police who served this country for 35 years is handed a total retirement benefit of just ₦2 million.
Yes, you read that right: ₦2,000,000. Not per month. Not per year. Total. This was the reward for a man who risked his life daily, waded through Nigeria’s crumbling criminal justice system, served in the most dangerous environments, and stood as a frontline defender for a nation that now spits in his face.
He speaks with pain and restrained fury: “Since I retired on October 1, 2023, I had not received anything until just two weeks ago when I was told I’d be paid ₦3 million; ₦1 million in arrears and ₦2 million as my full retirement benefit. I was a Superintendent of Police. I served wholeheartedly. And this is my reward? I will not take that money. It is an insult. Let the whole world hear this.”
This outburst is not a tantrum. It is the anguish of a man whose country has broken its covenant with him. And his experience is not an isolated case, it is symptomatic of a deeper, systemic rot in Nigeria’s policing and governance.
How Poor Welfare Breeds Poor Policing
In any sane society, police officers are treated with dignity both in service and in retirement on account that national security hinges on their morale, professionalism, and loyalty.
But in Nigeria, police officers are underpaid, overworked, poorly equipped, disrespected, and discarded once they leave service. This creates a domino effect:
Low Morale: Officers see no future in the job and do the bare minimum to survive.
Corruption: It’s not always about greed, often, it’s about survival. Illegal checkpoints and extortion become lifelines.
Lack of Professionalism: With no training, no support, and no accountability, what you get is disorder from chaos.
Absentee Policing: Take Okigwe Zone in Imo State. In five LGAs — Ehime Mbano, Onuimo, Isiala Mbano, Ihitte Uboma, and Okigwe; there has been no police presence for three years. Not even one officer. Why? Because no one will risk their life without arms, insurance, or assurances.
The bitter irony is that while these officers risk everything without support, the bulk of Nigeria’s “security vote” is enjoyed by politicians who use it solely to shield themselves from the insecurity they’ve helped nurture.
The Hypocrisy of Legislative Excess
Now compare that ₦2 million retirement “benefit” to the obscene pay package of a Nigerian senator or House member:
Over ₦30 million in monthly allowances, Luxury vehicles, wardrobe stipends, domestic staff allowance, holidays package, to mention but just a few.
These are individuals who rarely attend plenary, many of whom never sponsor a single bill, and whose contribution to national progress is negligible if not outright destructive.
It is a national disgrace that a lawmaker earns in one month what a police officer may not earn in 30 years, yet, these same politicians give lectures on patriotism, sacrifice, and nation-building.
Okigwe Zone: A Case Study in Collapse
The complete absence of police in the five LGAs of Okigwe Zone is more than a security gap. It is a full-blown collapse of trust and capacity. Residents are being murdered in their homes, abducted in broad daylight including traditional rulers, APC chieftains, and respected elders and nothing is being done.
What do you expect from a force whose officers, even while alive, cannot afford their children’s education, decent housing, or a dignified retirement?
If a former Divisional Police Officer, now a traditional ruler can be abducted on Christmas Day and vanish without a single public statement from police leadership, what should the average citizen expect?
A Nation That Devours Its Heroes
We love to call our officers “gallant men.” But gallantry in Nigeria means dying for a country that won’t even remember your name. The Nigeria Police Force is not just underfunded, it is actively betrayed by the nation it serves.
Until police welfare is prioritized, we will never fix our broken security architecture.
The Road to Reform
Real police reform is not about renaming SARS or issuing new uniforms. It begins with:
Fair pay and benefits, safe working conditions, post-retirement dignity, a system that supports, not abandons, its own. The government must drastically cut the cost of governance starting with obscene legislative and executive perks and redirect those resources to rebuild public institutions like the police.
The Police Pension Board must be audited, and retired officers must be paid what they rightfully earned. Anything short of this is criminal.
Until we begin to treat our police officers with dignity, we will continue to breed a demoralized, compromised, and absentee force. And as we’ve seen in Okigwe, the vacuum left behind will always be filled by bandits, kidnappers, and chaos.
When those who protect the people are unprotected, and those who endanger the people are rewarded, then the nation is already on fire.
Okechukwu Nwanguma is a human rights advocate and security sector reform campaigner.
