The Customs Immigration and Prisons Pension Department was first established by Decree 75 of 1993 as Customs Immigration and Prisons Pension Office (CIPPO) with the primary objective of managing pension funds for the benefit of Retirees from the Para – Military services of Customs, Immigration and Prisons.

It was merged into Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) in August 2013. The responsibility of pension payment to retired officers was previously carried out by office of Establishment and Pensions which is now known as the office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF). However, in the year 1991, the police and Para-military pension offices were created leaving out only the civil service pensions to be handled by the OHCSF.

The office started operations in the year 1990 and was saddled with the responsibility of payment of retirement benefits i.e. gratuity and monthly pension to the officers who retired from the three services of Customs, Immigration & Prisons.

The office was also responsible for the computation and payment of death benefits to Next of Kin (NOK) of officers who died while in service and for those officers who died after retirement but could not access their retirement benefits.

It is pertinent to note that those officers who retired from the three services of Customs, Immigration & Prisons before the creation of CIPPO were later transferred from the OHCSF to CIPPO in 2004 and they are called Pre 91 pensioners.

CIPPO was merged with the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) in August 2013, and its responsibilities are now being handled by Customs, Immigration & Prisons Pensions Department (CIPPD).

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

CIPPD is responsible for the pension administration of the three para-military services – Customs, Immigrations and Prisons. The main objective of the department is to manage pension funds and ensure the timely payment of pensioner’s entitlement, stress – less dispensation of pension services to retirees from the paramilitary services and maintain fairness & integrity in the dispensation of pension related matters.

The department is headed by a Director and divided into two main divisions – Pension Accounts and Pension Administration. The Admin division is responsible for all administrative matters, pension complaints and pension records management; while accounts division is responsible for the department’s finances and pension payments. The department has an internal auditor who is tasked with the responsibility of checking all its operations and payments.

The department has slightly over 13,150 verified pensioners and NOKs on its database and has paid all the pension increases (including 33%) to all its pensioners except those who are not on the payroll, some NOKs and a few isolated cases. All CIPPD pensioners are under the defined benefit scheme i.e. they all retired on or before 30th June 2007.

CATEGORIES OF PENSIONERS UNDER THE DEPARTMENT

Pre 1991: These are pensioners that retired before the creation of the erstwhile Customs, Immigration & Prisons Pension Office (CIPPO). Some retired voluntarily on attaining 60 years of age or after 35 years of service.

Post 1991: These are pensioners that retired statutorily, voluntarily, involuntarily or compulsorily retired/downsized from 1991 to June 2007 who fall under PTADs mandate.

Ex Biafra Pardonees: These are the para-military officers who joined the Biafran Army during the civil war but were pardoned and granted amnesty by President O. Obasanjo in May 2000.

S5 NOK: These are the NOK (next of kin) of officers who died a natural death. There are 2 categories – for death while in service, the registered NOKs will be paid the gratuity and 5 years dependable benefit. However, if the death occurred after retirement, the registered NOKs will be paid the balance of the unpaid pension (totaling 5 years post retirement).

S6 NOK: These are the NOK of officers who died in the course of duty while in active service. Here, the widow and up to 6 children up to the age of 18 will be entitled to monthly pensions and once they attain the age of 18 years the pension payment stops.