KEY POINTS

• Lagos Police say about 500 pensioners protested peacefully over unpaid pensions and gratuities in Alausa.
• The Command insists no tear gas was fired and says a viral photograph showing pensioners being tear-gassed was AI-generated.
• The denial follows calls by CDHR for an investigation into the alleged use of tear gas and for the payment of verified retirement benefits.

The Lagos State Police Command has denied reports that security operatives fired tear gas at pensioners during a protest in Alausa, Ikeja, on Monday, describing a viral photograph purportedly showing retirees being tear-gassed as artificially generated.

The Command said the protest, which was organised by the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Lagos Council, was peaceful and ended without any major incident.

According to the police, approximately 500 pensioners assembled at the Lagos State House of Assembly before moving to the Governor’s Office in Ikeja.

The retirees were protesting over outstanding pension payments and gratuities owed to them by the Lagos State Government.

The demonstration began at about 8:30am and continued until approximately 4:30pm.

The protesters were led by NUP Lagos Chairman, Comrade Michael Omishade, and Lagos State Nigeria Labour Congress Chairperson, Comrade Agnes Funmi Sesse.

The pensioners’ demands centred on the payment of verified outstanding financial obligations owed to retired workers.

Police Say Protest Remained Peaceful

The Lagos Police Command said officers were deployed to maintain security and ensure that the demonstration took place without disruption.

Personnel from the Rapid Response Squad, Lagos State Taskforce, Eko Strike Force and nearby police divisions were deployed to the area.

The operation was supervised by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations.

The Command said the security personnel maintained order throughout the demonstration and did not use tear gas against the protesters.

The controversy surrounding the protest arose after a photograph circulated widely online, allegedly showing security operatives using tear gas against pensioners.

However, the police strongly rejected the claim, saying no tear-gas canister was fired during the protest.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Lagos Police spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, said the photograph circulating online was AI-generated and did not depict events at the protest venue.

“The photograph in circulation is AI-generated and does not represent what transpired at the protest venue,” the Command said.

The police maintained that the image should not be relied upon as evidence of alleged force against the retirees.

The Command also disclosed that the Chief of Staff to the Lagos State Governor, Mr Tayo Akinmade Ayinde, engaged representatives of the pensioners after they had addressed the gathering.

Ayinde reportedly met with the NUP executives for approximately three hours inside the Governor’s Conference Hall.

The meeting provided an avenue for the pensioners’ representatives and government officials to discuss their demands, particularly the issue of unpaid pensions and gratuities.