Zainab Abioye
The Lagos State Police Command has denied using tear gas against protesting pensioners in Alausa, Lagos, describing a photograph circulating on social media as artificially generated and unrelated to Monday’s demonstration.
The Command said about 500 members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Lagos State Council, participated in the protest over their grievances concerning outstanding pensions, gratuities and other entitlements.
The police, in a statement issued on Tuesday by the command’s spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, said no tear-gas canister was fired throughout the protest.
The Command described reports that the retirees were tear-gassed as “false and misleading,” insisting that the demonstration remained peaceful from its commencement until the protesters dispersed.
It said the protest began around 8:30am on Monday, August 31, 2026, with the pensioners led by their Chairman, Comrade Michael Omishade, alongside the Nigeria Labour Congress Chairperson, Comrade Agnes Funmi Sesse.
According to the police, security personnel were deployed to the area to protect the protesters, maintain public order and prevent any breakdown of law and order.
Personnel from the Rapid Response Squad, Lagos State Taskforce, Eko Strike Force and nearby divisional headquarters were reportedly involved in the operation.
The Command said the security operation was coordinated by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations.
Following the protest, the pensioners were addressed by the Lagos State Governor’s Chief of Staff, Tayo Akinmade Ayinde, before the NUP executives proceeded to an indoor meeting at the Governor’s Conference Hall.
The meeting lasted about three hours, while the protesters eventually left the area peacefully around 4:30pm, the police said.
The Command’s statement followed the circulation of a photograph on social media purportedly showing security operatives using tear gas against the protesting retirees.
The police rejected the photograph as authentic, saying it was generated using artificial intelligence and did not represent 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 warned members of the public against creating, sharing or amplifying unverified information, particularly content relating to protests and security operations.
It said misleading content could create unnecessary tension and undermine public confidence in security agencies.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, said the Command remained committed to protecting citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and expression while ensuring that demonstrations remained orderly and within the law.
He also urged residents to rely on information from credible and authorised sources rather than manipulated images and unverified social media reports.
The police denial followed a call by the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights for an investigation into allegations that tear gas was used against the pensioners during the protest.
The rights group had demanded an investigation into the reported incident and urged the Lagos State Government to settle all verified outstanding pension and retirement benefits owed to the affected retirees.
The CDHR made the demand in a statement signed by its National President, Yinka Folarin, and General Secretary, Idris Afees.
The development has therefore left two competing accounts of the protest: while the rights group had called for an investigation into alleged use of force against the pensioners, the police maintained that no tear gas was fired and that the widely circulated photograph was AI-generated.
The Command said it would continue to provide security for residents and visitors while ensuring that lawful protests were conducted peacefully
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