Nigeria Police Disburse N2.3Billion Insurance, Welfare Benefits To 2,971 Beneficiaries, Next Of Kin Of Slain Officers | Sahara Reporters
Disu urged families to use the funds wisely, especially for children’s education and welfare. He emphasized that improving police welfare remains a priority, including better working conditions, healthcare, and housing.
The Nigeria Police Force has disbursed ₦2.317 billion in insurance and welfare benefits to 2,971 beneficiaries and next-of-kin of deceased officers.
Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu presented the cheques in Abuja on Thursday, noting the payments covered six policy years from 2017 to 2025 and included balances recovered from insurers.
“Today, I am pleased to present benefits amounting to ₦2,317,177,094 to 2,971 beneficiaries,” Disu said. “Beyond the financial value, this exercise carries an important message: the Nigeria Police Force will not abandon the families of those who paid the supreme price.”
He recalled officers killed in Buni-Yadi, Yobe State, during a rescue in Zamfara, and the 10 personnel ambushed in Kebbi, stressing their courage and the burden borne by their families.
“No amount of money can replace the loved one you have lost. These payments represent our institutional responsibility and appreciation for their sacrifices,” he added.
Disu urged families to use the funds wisely, especially for children’s education and welfare. He emphasized that improving police welfare remains a priority, including better working conditions, healthcare, and housing.
“An institution that demands courage, discipline, loyalty and sacrifice must also show genuine commitment to the welfare of its personnel and their families,” he said.
He commended insurance partners but pressed for faster claim settlements, describing them as a “vital lifeline” for bereaved families. The Force Insurance Unit, he disclosed, has recently visited six commands and over 50 divisions in the FCT to sensitise officers on accessing benefits.
For years, families of police officers killed in the line of duty have staged protests across Nigeria, demanding compensation, insurance payouts, and welfare support.
These demonstrations were often emotional, with widows and children carrying placards outside police headquarters or government offices, lamenting that their breadwinners had died protecting the country yet left them in poverty.
Civil society groups and activists joined these protests, framing them as part of a broader struggle for accountability. Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, among others, lent his voice to the cause, arguing that the state had a duty to honour fallen officers by supporting their families.
The protests typically highlighted delays in insurance settlements, with families waiting years for benefits. Some demonstrations drew attention to specific tragedies, such as officers ambushed in volatile regions or killed during rescue missions, where relatives felt abandoned after the funerals.
Placards often carried messages like “Our husbands died for Nigeria, don’t let us die in hunger” or “Pay our entitlements now.”