BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI
ABUJA—The Federal Government has set machinery in motion to offset arrears of benefits totalling N27.9 billion owed over 10,000 families of slain police officers who lost their lives to robbers, riots, and other forms of vendetta by criminals in the country since 2004 in its Group Life Assurance Scheme.

The decision of government to pay, it was gathered, followed payment of about N15billion of such arrears of death benefits accruable to the armed forces for thousands of families of soldiers who also lost their lives in several internal security organisations, foreign peacekeeping operations and riotous situations since 2004 when the new policy took off.

Consequently, Vanguard gathered that thousands of families of  late Police officers have inundated the federal and state governments with petitions, save our soul letters appealing for the monies to survive the harsh economic climate and take care of  children most of the slain police officers left behind.

A breakdown of the amount, year owed and number of policemen killed in the line of duty for that year, according to Vanguard investigation, showed that from July to December 2004, N4billion; from January to December 2005, N3.5billion; from January to December 2006, N3.9billion; and from January to December 2007, N4. 2billion.

Other are from January to December 2008, N3billion; from January to December 2009, N3. 7Billion; and from January to February 2010, N1. 6billion.

Vanguard also gathered from the office of the DG Budget Office that a letter containing the breakdown of the deceased police officers and period of their deaths had been submitted in accordance with the Pension Reform Act 2004 which obligates employers of labour to maintain life assurance policy of a minimum of 3 times annual total emolument in favour of their employees with effect from 2004.

The letter noted that the Nigeria Police did not enjoy the pilot scheme that took effect from 1st of January 2008 and until this date, has not enjoyed any benefit except the one that took place on March 1,  2010.

“The relations of the deceased members of the Nigeria Police have been suffering untold hardship due to the non payment of arrears of the Group Life Benefits. “They suffered so much that the demise of their breadwinners had led to untimely death of most of their family members.

It added that “Recently, our colleagues in the military were paid arrears of the Group life policy but non to the Nigeria Police with the attendant high risk of death and high population of over 377, 000 officers and men. The Nigeria Police have not been fairly treated with regards to this Group Life benefits,” the letter stated.

Consequently, the Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim, has directed relations of the deceased police officers and men who died in active service from July 1, 2004,  to February 29, 2010, to as a matter of urgency, report to the nearest police command or formation insurance officers with evidence of genuine evidence of death.

In a wireless message DTO: 101554/10/2011 addressed to all state and zonal commands of the Police Force, and intercepted by Vanguard, the IGP urged the relations to come with any other document or evidence relevant to the death of their breadwinners, warning that no one should be left behind in the exercise.