The Nigeria Police Force has commenced the payment of N2.317 billion in insurance and welfare benefits to 2,971 beneficiaries and next-of-kin of deceased police officers.
Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, disclosed this on Thursday while presenting cheques to beneficiaries under the Group Life Assurance, Group Personal Accident and IGP Family Welfare schemes in Abuja.
Disu said the payments covered the 2017/2018, 2018/2019, 2020/2021, 2021/2022, 2022/2023 and 2024/2025 insurance policy years.
According to him, the total amount involved was N2,317,177,094, with some of the payments representing outstanding balances recovered from insurance companies following earlier partial settlements.
He said,”Today, I am pleased to present benefits to two thousand nine hundred and seventy-one (2,971) beneficiaries and next-of-kin of deceased Police Officers, covering the 2017/2018, 2018/2019, 2020/2021, 2021/2022, 2022/2023 and 2024/2025 insurance policy years under the Group Life Assurance, Group Personal Accident and IGP Family Welfare Schemes, amounting to Two Billion, Three Hundred and Seventeen Million, One Hundred and Seventy-Seven Thousand, Ninety-Four Naira (N2,317,177,094.00).”
The IGP said the benefits were legitimate entitlements arising from the service and sacrifice of police personnel who died in the line of duty, stressing that the exercise was also a demonstration of the Force’s commitment to families of fallen officers.
“Beyond the financial value of these cheques, this exercise carries an important message: the Nigeria Police Force will not abandon the families of those who paid the supreme price in our service,” Disu said.
He said police personnel continued to operate in a highly challenging security environment, resulting in the loss of gallant officers across the country.
Disu specifically recalled officers killed in attacks at Buni-Yadi, Yobe State, members of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit who died during a rescue mission in Zamfara State, and 10 personnel recently ambushed and killed during an operation in Kebbi State.
He said the sacrifices of the fallen officers underscored the dangers associated with policing and the heavy burden their families continued to bear following their deaths.
The IGP expressed sympathy to the beneficiaries, noting that while no financial payment could replace a lost loved one, the benefits represented the institutional responsibility owed to families of deceased personnel.
He urged the beneficiaries to use the funds wisely, particularly for the education, welfare and future of children and other dependants left behind.
Disu reaffirmed that personnel welfare remained a cardinal priority of his administration, saying the Force had a responsibility to ensure that officers knew that their lives, service and families mattered.
“Our officers work under difficult and often dangerous conditions. They respond to emergencies when others seek safety; they work through nights, weekends and public holidays; and many spend considerable periods away from their families in the service of the nation,” he said.
The IGP said the Force would continue to pursue measures to improve personnel welfare, working conditions, healthcare, accommodation and other legitimate benefits due to officers and their families.
He also urged insurance partners to honour their obligations promptly, stressing that insurance benefits could serve as a vital lifeline for families who had lost their breadwinners.
Disu commended the Force Insurance Unit for improving awareness and access to insurance benefits and disclosed that the unit had, within two months, visited six police commands and more than 50 divisions and formations in the Federal Capital Territory to sensitise personnel on their entitlements.
He said he had directed the unit to intensify the sensitisation exercise nationwide to ensure that serving personnel and their families understood the available insurance benefits and the procedures for accessing them.
The IGP urged serving officers to draw strength from the courage of their fallen colleagues and remain committed to professionalism, integrity and dedication in the discharge of their duties.
He assured families of fallen officers that the Nigeria Police Force remained committed to exploring legitimate avenues of support for them and ensuring that the sacrifices of their loved ones were never forgotten.
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