The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has presented insurance benefit cheques worth N2,317,177,094 to 2,971 next-of-kin and beneficiaries of police officers who died in the line of duty.
He said during the ceremony at the Force Headquarters in Abuja that the gesture was far more than a routine administrative duty.
Instead, he framed it as a sacred institutional obligation to ensure the ultimate sacrifices of fallen heroes are never forgotten.
‘We are not merely presenting cheques. We are honouring the memories of police officers who gave their lives in service to our nation and affirming our commitment to the families they left behind,’ Disu said.
He used the opportunity to tell the gathering comprising families of the fallen heroes, senior officers and insurance representatives about the human story behind uniforms.
The IGP explained that every fallen officer was first a cherished member of a home before joining the nation’s security architecture.
‘Every officer represented here today was a member of a family before becoming a member of the Nigeria Police Force.
‘They were fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, sons, and daughters who carried personal hopes and responsibilities, yet chose to serve a nation that demanded courage and sacrifice from them’, Disu said.
The disbursed N2.31 billion covers claims spanning multiple insurance policy periods-from 2017 through 2025-under the Group Life Assurance Scheme, Group Personal Accident Scheme and the IGP Family Welfare Scheme.
Disu explained that the payout includes vital balance recoveries from insurance firms following previous partial settlements.
He acknowledged that no amount of monetary compensation would replace their loss, but vowed that the NPF would remain a permanent pillar of support to the fallen heroes families.
His words: ‘No amount of money can replace the loved ones you have lost
‘However, this payment represents the institutional responsibility we owe to you and a practical expression of our appreciation… The Nigeria Police Force will not abandon the families of those who paid the supreme price in our service. We will not abandon you’.
Disu reflected on the increasingly hazardous security landscape across the country, citing recent tragedies where officers were killed in action-including tactical personnel ambushed in Kebbi, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) operatives lost during a rescue operation in Zamfara State, and officers attacked in Bunza, Yobe State.
‘Their courage reminds us of the demands of policing and the price our personnel sometimes pay to protect lives and properties of others,’ Disu stated.
He urged the beneficiaries to manage the funds prudently by prioritising the long-term education, welfare, and stability of their children.
Turning to insurance underwriters, Disu charged them to treat claims not as standard commercial transactions, but as lifelines for surviving families.
He also instructed the Force Insurance Unit to intensify sensitisation campaigns across all state commands and formations, ensuring serving personnel and their families fully understand their entitlements.