Okiro Urges FG to Expedite Payment of Retired Police Officers' Benefits

Former Inspector General of Police, Sir Mike Okiro, has expressed concern over the delayed payment of retirement benefits to retired police officers. Okiro made this known while speaking to journalists in Abuja on Monday, 13th July 2026. He emphasized that the welfare of retired police personnel should be a priority to prevent them from suffering hardship after dedicating their lives to serving the nation. According to Okiro, the systematic delay in paying retirement benefits is a bad signal to serving officers and may lead to actions that tarnish the image of the police force. 'Police retired personnel should be paid as at when due, because if you don't pay them, it's a bad signal to those still in the service,' he stressed. Okiro also suggested that the welfare of serving police officers should be given adequate attention to prevent unprofessional conduct that may undermine the reputation of the force. He further noted that since he left office, the police force has not evolved, and the concerns of the police have not been met. Okiro advised that the training of police personnel should be geared towards technology-driven policing, and reforms should aim at changing the face of policing in Nigeria. He also recommended that officers should be promoted to the next rank at least every three years to prevent them from feeling redundant. On insecurity, Okiro stressed that it cannot be tackled by regular policing alone, but requires intelligence, special training, and equipment to give the police an edge over terrorists.