Date Published: 10/15/09

Day slain policemen's widows get compensation from Oni By Kola Igandan

Governor Segun Oni presenting N1 million cash donation to Adezez Mohammed

Mrs. Hadiza Mohamed could not have had it more devastating. She was exchanging banters with neighbours and even chattering aloud when the news of her husband’s death, Superintendent of police, Mohammed Manu was broken to her.

In split seconds, a laughing Hadiza turned a crier as her world became empty and shattered. That was the much she knew before she passed out.

Hadiza’s fate was not any different from four other women whose husbands fell to the bullet of men of the underworld.

Aside from Manu, Corporals Wasiu Olatunbosun, Simeon Obadero, Sanusi Yahaya and Harrison Odigie succumbed to the superior firepower of the armed bandits.

The policemen had on that fateful “black Sunday” in August parked its Hilux pick up van at the usual spot around Fajuyi area of the state capital. They had hardly got out of the vehicle when a car screeched to a halt and its occupants, in a commando style, alighted and pumped hot lead into the body of the four police officers in the vehicle. What followed was a shrill cry of the police officers who battled hard to stay alive.

The whole of the week was a mournful one, not only for the Nigerian Police but also the Ekiti State Government who had by then, fine tuned strategies to nip the spate of crime in the state in a bud.

A tearful governor Segun Oni immediately made arrangement to foot the burial expense of the departed officers. At the zonal headquarter along Iyin road, the governor expressed his displeasure over the spate of insecurity in the state. He however noted that he would do everything to assist the families of the slained officers and to also ensure that the welfare of the police is improved.

So, on the 13 th of October, 2009, Oni made good his promise when he informed the top hierarchy of the state command that he was visiting to commiserate with the families of the bereaved.

Emotions ran high as he (Oni) in company with the Secretary to the State Government, Ambassador Dare Bejide; Chief of Staff, Mr. Olu Adekunle and other top government functionaries made it to the conference hall of the zonal headquarters of the Nigerian Police Force in the state. The families of the bereaved were all seated in the hall while top ranking officers of the police in the state were also present to welcome the governor.

Cross section of widows and dependants of the deceased police officers after the cash donation

A tearful Oni, in an emotion laden voice told everyone present to observe a minute silence in memory of the departed officers. He noted that it was a painful task for him to personally console the families of the officers. He added that his government is poised to ensuring that there would be zero tolerance to criminal activities in the state.

“I want to commiserate with the families of all the departed officers who laid their lives in the course of duty to ensure that life should be safe for others.

“This is a very sad exercise for us to undertake, rather than make us dejected, it should challenge us to fish out the criminals and deal with them according to the laws of the land”

Oni urged the citizens to cooperate with the police by giving vital information on the activities of suspected criminals in the state. He noted that plans are underway to set up a security unit in the Governor’s Office where members of the public can call or text some mobile numbers to alert the government on criminal activities.

“His words: “The police cannot act in isolation. These criminals live among us. I am sure there are some people who would have seen them where they hid when they were looking for them.

“The Police are human too. They cannot know everything. It is the citizens that will tell them. We cannot expect the police to be as efficient as they should be, if, at the sound of a gunshot, we all scamper to safety without talking note of events even if it is for a split second.

“We will soon launch a massive campaign by keeping some dedicated mobile numbers which members of the public can call every minute of the day.

“This is the safest state in this country because we have low crime rate. We want to ensure that the occasional occurrence of crime is wiped out completely.

“With our mobile numbers and reporting scheme, we are going to ensure that, within the periphery of this state, it would be difficult to commit crime and go free” he said.

It was however a very low moment for the governor himself, who showed some sense of empathy as he handed cash to the families of the departed officers. While giving it to them, he encouraged them to be steadfast, adding that God will give them the fortitude to bear the loss.

“There is nothing we can do to replace a lost one. You can replace a husband but not a father. We know they have children and we are going to give them scholarships to any public school of their choice in Ekiti. Our schools will be the best in a very short while. We are giving out laptops to our students, so they are going to the best school you can get in this country now. They can also study up to the university level”

Governor Segun Oni and the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sabo Ringim

The governor gave a cash donation of N 1million to the family of S.P Manu, while those of Wasiu Olatunbosun and Simeon Obadero got N 500,000 each.

The families of the two policemen recently killed in a shootout with armed robbers who had abducted with the manager of a bank in Ado –Ekiti were also given N 500,000 each.

The policemen who were injured in the shootout were also not left out of the largesse as they got N 100,000 each aside expenses of the bills they incurred at the hospital.

Responding, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sabo Ringim expressed gratitude to Governor Oni for his kind gesture, noting that since he (Ringim) resumed office, the governor had ensured that the police lacked nothing.

“One cannot remember the last time an executive governor deemed it fit to come and share the experience of the police, those who normally stay awake while others sleep.

“When I resumed, I experienced my men in a terrible mood. I saw married women turned widow and the reason was that armed bandits opened fire and killed some of our intelligent officers.

“The families of the slain officers came running to me asking how they would survive the calamity that suddenly befell them. I brought it to the knowledge of Mr. Governor and he said he would come, speak and feel their pain and also support them”

The Commissioner of Police thanked the governor for providing some equipment to the police to aid it effectiveness in the state.

His words: “With the little you did and the much we see, we can only say thank you. You provided us with generator, there is light everywhere now and I am sure you can see smiles on the face of our officers now”

Mrs. Rasheedat Obadero, who represented the wives of the slain police officers thanked the governor for his gesture and noted that he had, to a large extent “given them food for life”

“Though our breadwinner is gone, the governor, Engr. Segun Oni has given us food for life by ensuring that we do not suffer. He has given our children scholarship that means we won’t have to bother about school fees. He has also given us money to start us up. That also means, we will be able to fend for ourselves. This is worthy of emulation. May God bless him (Oni)

Igandan is the special Assistant (Media) to the Governor