By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
The Lagos State Police Command denied allegations that tear gas was fired to disperse pensioners protesting unpaid arrears at Alausa, Ikeja.
Over 500 members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners engaged in the mass action, displaying placards to demand for their unpaid pension arrears, including wage adjustments.
However, civil society groups and union leaders, accused the police of forceful crackdown, but the police maintained that the narrative is totally false, saying that the viral images of the alleged clash are AI-generated.
SP Abimbola Adebisi, Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, of the Command, insisted that not a single canister of tear gas was fired during the protest.
The PPRO maintained that the pensioners were protected by security operatives throughout their rally.
He added that the retirees even met with the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Tayo Akinmade Ayinde, before they dispersed peacefully at about 4:30pm.
