Retired Police Inspector Cries Out Over N2.2Million Gratuity, ₦20,000 Monthly Pension After 35 Years Of Service (Video)
A retired Inspector of the Nigeria Police Force, Sambo Bello, has voiced his frustration over the neglect of retired officers, disclosing that he was paid a meager ₦2.2 million as gratuity and has been receiving just ₦20,000 as a monthly pension since his retirement in 2014.
In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, Bello appeared visibly distressed, wearing a sweat-soaked brown outfit and a white cap.
He expressed frustration over the meagre benefits he has received after dedicating 35 years of his life to serving Nigeria.
Bello recounted his long and tireless years in the police force.
However, despite his sacrifices, he said, there has been no meaningful support or recognition from the authorities
He said, “My name is Sambo Bello. I am a retired inspector with the Nigerian police. I retired in 2014. The Nigerian police paid me a gratuity of ₦2.2 million, and since then, I have been receiving a monthly pension of ₦20,000. I have been retired for 11 years now.”
When asked whether any promises were made to him by the National Pension Commission (PENCOM), he said no assistance was provided beyond his gratuity.
“I was not given anything except the money paid as gratuity. I have been living on ₦20,000 monthly since I retired as an inspector in the Nigerian police,” he added.
There are thousands of retired officers like Bello who served the country wholeheartedly, but upon retirement, they are left with nothing to show for their years of sacrifice.
Bello’s case highlights broader concerns among retired security personnel regarding inadequate pensions, delayed benefits, and the lack of a robust welfare system for those who have spent decades safeguarding the nation.
A retired @policeng inspector served for 35 years and was only paid N2.2million (roughly $1,500) as gratuity but a Nigerian lawmaker’s allowance is roughly $20,000 per month! #PolicePensionProtest #EgbetokunMustGo pic.twitter.com/GkWwWwjzsS
— Omoyele Sowore (@YeleSowore) June 27, 2025
Meanwhile, Nigerian human rights activist Omoyele Sowore has condemned the Nigerian police system for depriving retired officers of their benefits after years of service.
In a post on his Facebook page on Thursday, Sowore expressed outrage that a retired police inspector, who left service in 2014, received only ₦2.2 million as gratuity and now survives on a meagre monthly pension of just ₦20,000.
He further stated that even a retired Commissioner of Police receives only ₦80,000 per month as pension.
Sowore described the situation as “an utterly wicked”.
Sowore condemned the situation, saying, “A retired Inspector of Police who retired in 2014 has just collected N2.2million gratuity since he retired and receiving N20k monthly as pension.
“A Commissioner Of Police is receiving N80k per month as pension. It is an utterly wicked system of deprivation.”
On June 22, 2025, SaharaReporters reported that a viral outburst from a retired Superintendent of Police who rejected a ₦2 million retirement benefit as “an insult” following 35 years of service to the nation.
The ex-police officer, who retired on October 1, 2023, voiced his frustration in an emotional video, asserting that the Nigerian Police Pension Board recently informed him that ₦3 million had been approved as his total retirement payout: ₦1 million in arrears from October 2023 to date, and ₦2 million as his full entitlement.
“What for?” he asked. “I served my country wholeheartedly.”
The retired officer, visibly angry and emotional in the video, vowed to reject the payment and take his battle into his own hands.
He said, “I laugh—the Nigerian Police. I really do. I am a retired Superintendent of Police. I retired from the Nigerian Police on October 1st, 2023. Since then, nothing has been paid to me.
“Just two weeks ago, they called me and said they were going to pay me three million naira. For what? They said that was my pension.
“Lo and behold, the three million naira isn’t even my full pension. One million naira is supposed to be arrears from the time I retired till now. The remaining two million naira is my entitlement.
“I cannot serve this country for 35 good years and be paid just two million naira. The devil is a liar. Please, let the Inspector-General of Police hear this.”
