•Injured policeman gets N5m
LAGOS State Governor Akinwumi Ambode yesterday donated N50 million to the families of four policemen and an army captain killed in Ishawo, Ikorodu, on April 9.
The families got N10million each. The family of Sergeant Alexander Ugadu, who is recuperating in hospital, got N5 million.
Inspectors Godwin Iroagbalahi and Francis Pemi as well as Sergeants Mamuda Dembo and Idor Ekoro and Captain A. Mohammed were killed after they rescued some kidnap victims.
A statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Habib Aruna, said Ambode made the donations through the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Tunji Bello.
He said the gesture was in appreciation of the officers’ supreme sacrifices in the line of duty. The donation the SSG said was in line with the governor’s pledge to review security operatives’ insurance benefits in the state.
The statement said: “This is to appreciate what the gallant officers have done; they sacrificed their lives in the course of protecting several of us and we have to appreciate them. As a matter of fact, if we don’t do this, who will? The governor has always said that we must continue to appreciate those who paid the supreme sacrifice for our lives because they died for us.
“We must continue to appreciate them because if we don’t do this, who will be ready to pay the supreme sacrifice for our safety? The officers were sent out to protect us and when they went, they were not sure of coming back and having paid the supreme sacrifice, should we leave them just like that? Definitely no. It is in appreciation of what they have done that we are doing this.”
Responding on behalf of beneficiaries, Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni praised Ambode and the government for the donations, which he described as a morale booster. He said the gesture would go a long way in motivating officers.
Owoseni said: “On behalf of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), I stand to appreciate Lagos State Government for this morale boosting gesture that you have shown our colleagues who, in the course of discharging their statutory duties to this nation, demonstrated bravery, gallantry and courage but unfortunately lost their lives in an encounter with criminal elements.
“The IGP appreciates this kind gesture and on behalf of the respective families of the officers that lost their lives, in as much as we know that money will not bring them back, but you have given us that confidence that in our trial and sadness period, the state is standing solidly behind us. This will spur us to be more committed to the security of the state.”
Earlier, Ambode, on behalf of Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) presented 20 brand new operational vehicles with modern communication gadgets to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS).
LSSTF Executive Secretary Dr. Abdulrazaq Balogun said the donation was in furtherance of the government’s commitment to bequeath robust security architecture to residents. He said the government would soon donate another round of vehicles to other security agencies in the state.