Oyo Government Warns Pensioners About Gratuity Extortion Scheme

The government of Oyo State alerted the public on Friday, January 16, concerning claims that pensioners are facing extortion by people masquerading as government representatives while they navigate the gratuity payment process.

The Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, made this announcement in a press release from Ibadan, cautioning that criminal networks are preying on weak retirees within the system.

Oyelade affirmed that the current administration is exercising "due diligence" with regard to gratuity disbursements, asserting that the current process is far more transparent and efficient compared to those of previous administrations.

He stated, "A cartel has been operating within the civil service, and the government is closing in on these criminals." He elaborated that retired civil servants and public employees are being solicited to pay between five to ten percent of their gratuity to these entities under the pretense of speeding up their payments.

Oyelade characterized this malpractice as a long-standing issue, noting, "This problem has been ongoing for years, even during the administration of former governor, His Excellency Lam Adesina, and continues to impact unsuspecting pensioners to this day." He expressed concern that "those responsible for the extortions and their partners are well aware of one another," pointing out that, despite numerous warnings, some retirees still fall prey to these schemes. The reported extortions are said to target both state and local government pensioners.