Retired Cop Vows to Join Boko Haram Over Unpaid Pension

A retired Nigerian policeman has ignited public alarm with a chilling viral video, vowing to defect to the Boko Haram terrorist group unless his long-overdue pension is paid.

In the footage circulating widely on social media Thursday, the ex-officer, whose identity remains unconfirmed but matches profiles of pension protesters, lamented his dire straits. “If nothing is done about this, I’ll go to the other side and join Boko Haram. I’ll be helping them fix their guns and train them,” he declared, his voice laced with desperation. He branded the pension delays “slavery,” capturing the raw anguish felt by many who served decades in uniform only to face abandonment in retirement.

The video, first shared by journalist Temitope Hassan on X (formerly Twitter), has amassed thousands of views, amplifying cries from a growing chorus of aggrieved retirees. Recent reports from Premium Times indicate that over 10,000 retired police officers are still entangled in the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), which they decry as a “scam” siphoning their benefits through private Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs). Protests peaked in September 2025 when hundreds stormed Nigeria’s National Assembly in Abuja, chanting against the CPS—likened by demonstrators to “the latest 419 fraud.”

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Legislative momentum followed: The House of Representatives passed the Nigeria Police Force Pension Board Bill, securing Senate concurrence shortly after. Senate President Godswill Akpabio personally assured protesters in December 2025 that the police would exit the CPS, promising swift action. Yet, as of today, President Bola Tinubu has not signed the bill into law, per official records from the National Assembly and Vanguard News. This stall has fueled fresh demonstrations, including a February 2026 blockade of police headquarters in Abuja where retirees demanded direct federal payouts.

The retirees’ plight traces back to the 2004 Pension Reform Act, which shifted police pensions to the CPS. Critics argue it leaves them vulnerable to bureaucratic delays and meager returns—some receive as little as ₦10,000 monthly amid soaring inflation. Channels TV footage from March 2026 shows similar viral rants, with one retiree collapsing during a rally, underscoring health crises tied to financial ruin.

Security experts warn such rhetoric risks radicalization. “Despair can breed extremism,” noted a counter-terrorism analyst with the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, speaking anonymously. The Nigeria Police Force has yet to comment officially, but spokespersons previously attributed delays to verification backlogs.

This incident spotlights a national crisis: Thousands of ex-servicemen across military and paramilitary arms face parallel woes, with arrears totaling billions of naira. As pension protests simmer, the federal government faces mounting pressure to assent the bill and overhaul the system before isolated frustrations erupt into broader unrest.