A legal practitioner and public affairs analyst, Maxwell Okpara, has called for the criminalisation of non-payment of pensions in Nigeria.

Okpara made this call on Thursday during an interview on Arise Television.

He was reacting to reports that operatives of the Lagos State Police fired tear gas at pensioners who engaged in a peaceful protest to demand their entitlements.

The lawyer criticised the police and demanded an apology to the senior citizens.

“It is high time we criminalise non-payment of pensions. The Commissioner of Police should tender an apology to Nigerians and senior citizens.

“Why should they deny something everyone saw? The question is how it got to this, for someone to serve this country for 35 years and still have to ask for their own money.

“Pay me my pension, and instead you allow this person to protest. It is high time we criminalise non-payment of pensions. It is a gross violation of human rights,” he stated.