Governor David Umahi has given financial support of 4-million Naria to the families of the four deceased Policemen in Ebonyi State.
Umahi gave the financial assistance to the brevead families through the Ebonyi Police Command.
Our correspondent gathered that the deceased policemen included Asp Ocheme Christian, Inspr Edet Ekpo, Sgrt Benjamin Ifeanyi Ituma and Pc James Chukwuebuka who died in an auto-crash.
It was also gathered that the policemen who were serving as the Commissioner of Police Monitoring Unit, led by the Assistant Commander Asp Ocheme Christian were returning from a peace keeping mission at Effium-Ezza. Effium when the fatal auto-crash occured along Abakaliki-Enugu Express on February 3rd 2021.
The incident reportedly occurred at the early hours of the day claimed the lives of four policemen leaving about ten others seriously injured.
The accident was believed to be caused by a puncture at the back tire of the vehicle which led to eventual burst, causing several somersaults of the vehicle left in wreck.
The state Commissioner of Police, Aliyu Garba, after formally presenting the cash donation to the bereaved families, on Wednesday 10th March 2021, at the Police Officers Mess, Abakaliki revealed that, out of the 14 officers in the police Hilux van returning from the peacekeeping mission, the command lost four persons while 10 sustained various degrees of injury.
CP Aliyu commended the state government for its support to the police, adding that Governor David Umah has also paid the hospital bills of other officers receiving treatment in hospitals.
He assured the deceased families that the command will ensure that insurance entitlements of the late officers, cooperative, gratuity, pension, and burial expenses will be paid to their families in due time.
“We will pay all, just be patient with us. Your husbands died in active duty and we must do our part. The command will send a voluntary letter to officers so that anything anyone has he/she can donate no matter how small.
“Regrettably, our personnel were not defeated at the battle zone. Rather, their untimely departure was as a result of an unfortunate ghastly motor accident on Feb. 3, 2021, while returning from Effium, the crisis area between Ezza and Effium.
“Today, I invite the families and relatives of the police personnel to formally commiserate and render to them the generous gestures of the state governor, Chief David Umahi.
“On this note, on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, I formally present the cash donations to the families of the deceased, who are all present here,” CP Aliyu said.
In appreciation, the wife of deceased ASP Ocheme Christian, Mrs. Grace Ocheme thanked the Governor David Umahi government for supporting their families in this trying time of grief stating that “I know that death is a path everybody must follow, but I wouldn’t want it to come untimely because it is the untimely death that breaks the heart
Another recipient, retired officer, Eshiya Emmanuel, pleaded with CP Aliyu, to appeal to the inspector general of police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, to absorb the late officer’s wives by giving them menial jobs or engage them as police constables, stating that such was the case in the past. He said engaging them will help them to have regular means of feeding their children.
Emmanuel advised police officers to always protect themselves as they are always the target when issues come up. “I want to advise our men in the force to protect themselves. Policemen in the country now are the target of every Nigerian without a just course.
“Serving your country has become a problem. Your lives should be more important than anyone else’s. The gun they gave to you is for you to protect yourself. It is when you protect yourself that you can protect others” he said.
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