Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has demanded ₦500,000 monthly pay for police officers. Sowore made this demand during a live interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday. He said there was no reason why Nigerian police officers should earn such low salaries while lawmakers receive millions every month.
According to him, “We’re concerned about the people who are really doing the work, and it is time for us to be on their side to ensure that they are well paid, well remunerated, and when they are no longer in service, they don’t become paupers.”
Police Deserve ₦500,000 Pay, Says Sowore
Sowore, the convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, openly criticised the huge gap between the earnings of senators and the police officers who guard them.
“I mentioned earlier that an average senator takes home ₦30 million per month, but the senator can’t leave home except they are accompanied by the police. So, why is it that senators are taking home ₦30 million per month, but the policeman cannot earn ₦500,000 per month?”
He questioned how a police officer could survive on their current salary in a country with high inflation and rising costs of living.
“What is ₦500,000 really? Maybe about $300 a month; that is what some people earn in a day somewhere else, not in Nigeria,” Sowore said.
Pension Managers Earn More Than Retired Police Officers
Sowore also expressed deep concern about the poor welfare of retired police officers.
He pointed out that the pension company managing police pensions pays its staff over ₦1 million per month. Meanwhile, the retired police officers they serve are left to suffer.
“The pension company, an average worker there makes about a million per month, that’s the least that they make, and the people whose pension they are managing are dying of poverty. Sometimes, you just wake up in this country and wonder if anybody is thinking,” he said.
He explained how difficult it is for police officers to survive with their current pay scale.
“How do you serve a country for 35 years and your monthly salary is, highest, ₦57,000, maybe ₦140,000, depending on your rank? How do you survive in a country where the inflation rate is at 24 per cent, where you have to pay the school fees of your children, and where you have to treat your children if they are sick?” he asked.
Sowore Calls Nigerians To Join Police Pay Protest
Sowore revealed that police officers themselves chose July 21 for their planned protest against their poor pay. He stated that these officers were ready to down tools if their demands were ignored.
He also called on Nigerians, especially celebrities who enjoy police protection, to join the protest and show their support.
“I know that the ones that accompany celebrities get better pay, they get incentives, but at the end of the day, it’s important that you all step out for the police,” Sowore said.
Sowore Demands ₦500,000 Monthly Pay For Police Officers
Sowore’s demand for ₦500,000 monthly pay for police officers has now opened a fresh conversation about fairness in Nigeria’s public service. Many Nigerians are beginning to question why those who protect lives earn so little, while lawmakers enjoy massive salaries and allowances.
With the planned protest date approaching, there is growing interest in how this demand for ₦500,000 monthly pay for police officers will reshape Nigeria’s wage structure, especially for those on the frontlines of security.
