The Lagos State Police Command has denied allegations that officers fired tear gas at pensioners during a protest in Alausa, Lagos, on Monday, August 31, 2026.
CityNews reports that the command said the protest by members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Lagos State Council, ended peacefully and that no tear gas was used by security personnel deployed to the area.
The denial followed reports and images shared on social media claiming that pensioners were tear-gassed during the demonstration.
The development also prompted human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, to call for action against any police officers found to have used tear gas on the retirees.
At the centre of the protest was a long-running disagreement between retired Lagos public servants and the state government over unpaid pension adjustments, consequential increases and outstanding wage awards.
The pensioners had gathered at the Lagos State Government Secretariat and the Lagos State House of Assembly complex to demand the payment of what they described as their outstanding entitlements.
The Lagos Police Command said about 500 pensioners participated in the protest, which began at about 8:30am at the Governor’s Office in Alausa, Ikeja.
Spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command, Abimbola Adebisi said the protesters were led by the chairman of the Lagos State Council of the NUP, Michael Omishade, alongside the Nigeria Labour Congress chairperson, Agnes Funmi Sesse.
Police personnel from the Rapid Response Squad, Lagos State Task Force, Eko Strike Force and various police divisions in the area were deployed to maintain security and prevent any breakdown of law and order.
The security operation was reportedly coordinated by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Department of Operations.
Following the arrival of the protesters, the Chief of Staff to the Lagos State Governor, Tayo Akinmade Ayinde, addressed them before the NUP executives moved into the Governor’s Conference Hall for a meeting.
The meeting lasted about three hours, after which the pensioners left the area at about 4:30pm.
The police said the protesters dispersed peacefully and that no major incident was recorded during the demonstration.
“The command wishes to state unequivocally that the allegation is false and misleading. Not a single canister of tear gas was fired throughout the duration of the protest”, Adebisi said.
