Lagos State Police Command denies that pensioners were tear-gassed during a protest at the Lagos State Governor’s Office in Alausa, Ikeja, on Monday, August 31, 2026. In a statement issued Tuesday, September 1, the police say a photograph circulating online showing retirees allegedly being tear-gassed was misleading.
The Command says around 500 members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) Lagos State Council staged what it describes as a peaceful demonstration. It adds that officers from the Rapid Response Squad, Lagos State Taskforce, Eko Strike Force, and divisional headquarters were deployed to maintain order under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations. Police also describe the protest as involving speeches and a three-hour meeting, and say it ended peacefully around 4:30 pm.
Across the outlets, the main point of difference is emphasis: one focuses on the AI-generated nature of the viral image, while the other provides more detail on the group’s leadership, the police deployment, and the sequence of events. Both sources report police insist no tear gas was fired and urge the public to rely on verified information.
