A coalition of civil society organisations has called on the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, to order the immediate arrest and prosecution of police officers allegedly involved in the tear-gassing and disruption of a peaceful protest by pensioners at the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday, 21st August, 2026.

The coalition, led by The Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR), made the demand at a briefing at Liberation Centre, Ijaiye, Lagos.

CHSR’s President, Alex Omotehinse, described the alleged treatment of the pensioners as inhumane, unacceptable and an affront to human dignity.

He said, “CHSR strongly condemns the reported use of tear gas and other forms of force against elderly pensioners who gathered peacefully at the gate of the Lagos State House of Assembly to demand payment of their legitimate pensions, gratuities and other outstanding entitlements. The images, videos and reports emerging from the protest are deeply disturbing. These are elderly men and women who dedicated several productive years of their lives to the service of Lagos State. Their decision to peacefully demand what they have legitimately earned cannot, and must not, be treated as a criminal act.”

CHSR also challenged the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Fatai Owoseni, over his reported claim that video footage and photographs from the protest were AI-generated, urging him to investigate the incident and, if the materials were indeed fake, ensure that those responsible for producing and circulating them are brought to justice.

CHSR further alleged that the incident was part of a pattern of police attacks on protests under the leadership of CP Owoseni, citing previous protests involving victims of demolition in various parts of Lagos, as well as protests by the Take It Back and Revolution Now movements.

CHSR also demanded that the Lagos State Government commence the immediate payment of all verified outstanding pensions, gratuities and allowances owed to retirees and publish a transparent, time-bound schedule for settling the outstanding obligations.

A leader of the Voice of the Masses and Support for Credible Leadership, Ibrahim Tobiloba, alleged that the incident was premeditated, pointing to what he described as conflicting statements regarding the involvement of Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and CP Owoseni.

According to him, the Chief of Staff to Governor Sanwo-Olu, Tayo Ayinde, reportedly said Sanwo-Olu did not order the tear-gassing of the pensioners, while the Commissioner of Police had earlier described footage of the incident as AI-generated.

“CHSR called on the Federal Government to ensure that the police and other security agencies respect citizens’ constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and expression, while urging the Lagos State Police Command to train and retrain personnel on the professional management of peaceful protests, with emphasis on restraint, dialogue and respect for human dignity. The Lagos State Police Command and other security agencies should urgently train and retrain their personnel on the professional management of peaceful protests, with emphasis on restraint, dialogue and respect for human dignity.”

Adewunmi Adesina of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights described the government’s failure to meet the pensioners’ demands as another indication of its poor performance, saying, “It is painful that the rights of the pensioners to actually seek for what belongs to them, what they have laboured for, but for the government of the day now to have denied them their entitlement, like I said, I think it’s a failure on their part.”

According to him, the pensioners had contributed a significant part of their lives to serving the government and deserved their grievances to be treated with respect.

“These people have contributed a worthy part of their lives serving them! Because for them to have served in the past at this age, that means they have equally worked for the government of the day to earn whatever they are taking today,” he said. (The Nation)