Esther Marcus, a woman who claims to be a retired deputy superintendent of police (DSP), has criticised the “poor treatment of retirees” under the contributory pension scheme.

In a viral video, Marcus described the contributory pension scheme as “dirty,” noting that she was paid N1.7 million as her gratuity and placed on a monthly pension of N40,000 after 35 years of service.

“My name is Esther Marcus, a retired DSP of the Nigerian Police Force. I retired on November 1, 2018,” she said

“I just want to use myself as a case study. It is applicable to every other police officer under this dirty contributory pension scheme.”

Recounting her experience, Marcus said she joined the force at age 16 and served for 35 years.

“After serving for 35 years… I waited for over a year before I was given N1.7 million,” she added.

“Then, after waiting for another three months, they started paying me N40,000 as my monthly pension… That applies to every other policeman and policewoman who retired under this dirty scheme called the contributory pension scheme.”

Marcus alleged that the federal government had ignored the plight of police retirees despite repeated appeals and public hearings.

She criticised the disparity in treatment between police retirees and those from other security agencies like the Nigerian Army and Department of Secret Service (DSS), who she claimed did not face similar challenges.

“This struggle has been ongoing for over 10 years now… They are aware of what we’re going through. They’ve held about three or four public hearings on this case. But when the Army was retiring, the DSS and other paramilitary forces, there was nothing like a public hearing,” she said.

Marcus urged police retirees to occupy the national assembly to demand justice, saying the government’s indifference has exacerbated their suffering.

“We will not stop fighting. What we are planning now is to go and occupy their National Assembly and call CNN to cover the whole programme,” she said.

“Anyone who is against us will not escape from this evil bondage, that person, that man, that group who doesn’t want the police to be exempted from this evil— they are vultures because a vulture only waits for its victim to die, then it comes to feed. And that’s what’s been happening.

“You want the police, knowing fully well that when they retire, they are going into hell; you want them to stop corruption? They will continue collecting. They will continue extorting. They will continue enriching themselves by whatever means they can.”

At least eight people sustained varying degrees of injuries after a commercial bus, popularly known as a Molue, crashed into the road median at the Ahmadiya axis of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway on Friday.

The spokesperson for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Adebayo Taofiq, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

Taofiq explained that the accident occurred when the bus driver veered off the road in an attempt to avoid colliding with pedestrians standing at the bus stop.

He added that the driver lost control of the vehicle, causing it to crash into the median and overturn, leading to injuries among the passengers and the driver.

Taofiq stated, “The accident was triggered when the vehicle, registered as KTU 801 XM, lost control due to excessive speed, reportedly caused by driver impatience.

“In an attempt to avoid colliding with another LT commercial bus and pedestrians waiting at the roadside, the driver veered sharply, resulting in the bus crashing into the expressway median and overturning.

“Eight individuals, including five men and three women, sustained varying degrees of injuries. Among the injured was the bus driver, who suffered a fractured left arm.”

“The injured victims were taken to Ile-Epo General Hospital thanks to the swift response of LASTMA personnel and officials from the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS).

“LASTMA officers promptly arrived at the scene, executing a coordinated and efficient rescue operation.

“All victims were immediately handed over to LASAMBUS medical personnel and transported to the General Hospital at Ile-Epo for urgent medical attention,” Taofiq added.

Reacting to the incident, the LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, through Taofiq, sympathised with the injured and urged motorists to prioritise safety at all times.

“He emphasised the paramount importance of adhering strictly to traffic regulations, particularly compliance with speed limits as prescribed by the Lagos State Government.

“Mr Bakare-Oki also implored both commercial and private vehicle operators to prioritise regular vehicle maintenance, especially of critical systems such as brakes, to prevent avoidable accidents,” Taofiq noted.

The police command in Jigawa has arrested a woman for allegedly poisoning the food at her wedding.

The incident reportedly led to the death of one of the guests, with the groom left critically ill and hospitalised.

Lawan Adam, the Jigawa police command spokesperson, said the incident occurred in Jahun LGA, adding that an investigation has commenced.

He said the bride and another woman are being interrogated by the criminal investigation department of the command.

“We received a report that the bride had tainted the food served at the wedding reception, leaving the groom critically ill,” Adam said.

“Police have arrested two suspects in connection with the alleged food poisoning incident that occurred during a wedding ceremony in the state.

“The command is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, and we will provide more details as soon as possible.

“For now, we can confirm that the incident occurred, and we are working tirelessly to unravel the facts.

“We urge the public to remain calm and assured that justice will be served. We will do everything in our power to ensure that justice is served.”