Posted by Chinenye on Fri 04th Sep, 2026 - tori.ng
After years of serving behind the walls of Nigeria’s correctional facilities, retired officers say their struggles are far from over.
(Mr Saliu Musa-Halima, a retired Controller of Corrections. Photo by Punch News)
Retired correctional officers in Kogi State have appealed to the Federal Government to act urgently on poor retirement benefits and the extended delays in paying their gratuities, a problem that many say is causing health complications and cutting their lives short.
The call came during the inauguration of the pioneer executives of the Retired Correctional Officers Association's Kogi chapter in Lokoja on Thursday.
The newly installed Chairman, Saliu Musa-Halima, a retired Controller of Corrections, pledged to prioritise the welfare and well-being of members, vowing to introduce innovations aligned with international standards.
Musa-Halima painted a bleak picture of life after service.
He described the challenges facing retirees as overwhelming, with many suffering serious health problems due to lack of support once they leave the service.
The retirement benefits they receive are inadequate, he stressed, expressing shock at how little even controllers earn in their final years. He linked poor welfare directly to early deaths, arguing that better support would help retirees live longer, healthier lives.
The chairman made a direct plea to the Federal Government, emphasising the critical role correctional facilities play in national security.
Without prisons, he argued, the entire criminal justice system collapses because there is nowhere to hold offenders judges, governors and even the Head of State cannot detain people in their homes.
Correctional officers, he insisted, have secured the country, yet many live in poverty after retirement, unable to support their children and still servicing loans years after leaving service.
The Association's Publicity Secretary, Umar Abubakar, a retired Deputy Controller, acknowledged improvements made to serving officers' salaries and allowances under the current administration and recent infrastructure developments at the National Headquarters.
However, he identified delayed PENCOM pension payments as the biggest problem facing retirees.
Both government and officers contribute to the pension scheme while in service, but upon retirement, retirees receive far less than their contributions warrant.
Abubakar, who retired in November and has yet to access his gratuity, warned that lack of timely payments leads to depression, stroke and hypertension among retirees.
He noted that the Association's Cooperative and Correctional Welfare Insurance Scheme has become a lifeline, with members accessing between two and three million naira upon retirement depending on rank.
Abubakar appealed to Kogi State Government and the private sector to engage retired officers in security and intelligence roles, arguing they have valuable expertise in security work and psychological profiling that could benefit both sectors.
The newly appointed executives pledged to advocate for improved welfare, timely gratuity and pension payments, and the inclusion of retired correctional officers in national and state security structures.
The leadership team includes Musa-Halima as Chairman, Hajiya Abdulquadir Ajara as Vice Chairman, Emma Adepele as Secretary, Peter Onuabu as Assistant Secretary, Ahmed Saketsu-chi as Financial Secretary, Alonu Toba as Treasurer, Malam Onu Umoru as Auditor, Umar Abubakar as Publicity Officer, and Isa Jubril Muhammad as Provost.