By Rabiu Doma
Fresh fact emerged following the twist of event as wives and next of kin to the slain security operatives that died in Nasarawa state lament over the denial by Police Authority to grant them the N1m promised by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) M.D Abubakar until they presented corpses of the officers.
As a result, the position of those in authority continue to generate heat as most of the death bodies recovered from the fetish temple were beyond recognition.
The bereaved family in an interview with 247ureports.com can authoritatively unravel that some of the family and relatives of the death security personnel are in dilemma over the development.
It could be recalled that the IGP recently averred that all officers deployed to Alakyo shrine either death or missing are entitled to N1m.
The IGP who was represented by a superior officer of Police force during the documentation of family and next of kin to the slain officers at the Nasarawa state Police command – indicated that the N1m was just a palliative measure to pave way for the burial of the death officers and to defray immediate needs of their families.
One of the family members in the center of the confrontation with Police Authority, Madam Helen Joseph, wife to late Sergeant Joseph Amanabu expressed her present predicament, she lambasted Police Authority for their inaction as well the media for been subjective in reporting the matter. “Even the broadcast media in the state, NTA/NBS edited my reaction, while watching the program I was surprise to see that a portion of that report was removed” said the frustrated widow.
Also, another one of the affected victims, Madam Elizabeth Onoja, wife to late Inspector Sunday Onoja an indigene of Benue state who was attached to criminal Investigation Department (CID) expressed grief on the foul play exhibited by Police Authority in the payment of N1m to widows and next of kin to the death police men. “We were told at a gathering that widows and relatives of death officers should present a passport and other necessary documents and we presented those papers but to no avail,” said Elizabeth.
“The worst part of our quandary is that Police Authority asked us to present corpses before giving us the N1m” adding that , “my problem is to see the corpses not the N1m that is my problem” saying the death of our bread winners is a plan.
Godiya Makama, an aged mother to Paul Samuel of the State Security Services (SSS) expressed regret over the incidence. Makama told 247.ureports.com that she’s full of hope that her son is alive and will surface.
The force Public Relation Officer, Michael Ada when contacted debunked the report. The spokesman stated that all family members to the death police were given the N1m as promised.
Ada continued that only those that have one or two problems were denied access to the money. He further said that the delay in the distribution exercise was due to multiple claimants. “In some of the files presented to us you discovered that the files bears two different names of next of kin, It’s their money not ours”.
