ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
The Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Command, Ben Okolo, has presented cheques worth N24,295,062 (N24.2m) to the families of eight personnel of the command who died in active service.
The CP presented the money to the next-of-kins of the dead officers at the Police Command’s headquarters in Yenagoa on behalf of the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba.
He described the loss of the deceased cops as unfortunate and painful and advised the benefitting families not to misuse the money.
He explained that the money was part of the ongoing Group Life Insurance Welfare Scheme (GLIWS) of IGP Baba for families of late police officers for the 2020/2021 policy year.
The deceased police officers, whose families were presented with the bank cheques, were ASP Mohammed Usman, Inspector Sule Jacob, Inspector Unuajohnwofie Raymond, Sgt. Nanbut Lipdu, Sgt. Itimi Enemotimi, Cpl. Joseph Sunday, W/Inspr, Jacob Adutomuvie and Sgt. Orhorhoro Akpovie.
One of the beneficiaries, Blessing Jacob, whose father died after a protracted battle with ill-health, commended the Nigeria Police for releasing the monies to deceased families.
Meanwhile, CP Okolo has assured residents of the state capital and its environs of the readiness of the police to ensure the safety of lives and property in the state.
He declared that the state police command and all serving commanders of sisters agencies had rejigged the security tactics and set to work in close synergy to tackle crime and criminality.
Okolo said: “We have mapped out a couple of strategies which we will begin the implementation. Now, we are working on ensuring that issues of kidnap are brought to the barest minimum and we will ensure the waterways are properly policed.
“Our particular interest is factory-fitted vehicles. We have a squad that will ensure that we enforce the law to the letter and other strategic issues have been worked out.
“We will continue to look at what we are doing and review. Let me assure all residents, indigenes of Bayelsa State that this state is safe and we are going to make it safer for all and also for the election after and always.”