… call on govt to alleviate their suffering
Widows of deceased army and police officers, who died in the course of duty, are currently lamenting their plights, citing financial hardship being experienced.
The family of a warrant officer, Adebayo Shoola, who died following a heart disease in 2013, said life had been difficult for them ever since.
Wife of the deceased soldier, Margaret, said, as a single parent, she struggled alone to fend for their children.
According to Margaret, after the death of her husband, she was paid some money. However, she said the amount was not sufficient to take care of her three children.
She said the Army ejected her from the Ikeja Cantonment in 2016, adding that this and other challenges made life so difficult, especially since she now carries the responsibilities alone.
“My husband died in year 2013 after a heart disease. We were ejected from our apartment at Ikeja Cantonment in 2016. The Army paid us little compensation, which was not enough to take care of the children. I am trying my best to ensure that the children do not suffer. My husband was a very good man; he was so caring,” she said.
An Inspector of Police, Taie Ajetunmobi, who was killed by armed robbers in 2012, in Apapa, Lagos, was survived by three wives and 10 children.
The wives of the deceased are Princess Elizabeth, Modinat and Iyabo.
His second wife, Modinat, said up till date the police authorities did not pay the family any compensation, adding that the family had been facing hard times as a result of the loss.
She appealed to the police authorities to address their plight so as to relieve them.
“A situation whereby families of police officers and rank and file, who died while serving the nation, are left in the cold without compensation will not make others who want to carry out their duties to do their best as patriots. Such will not boost the image of the Nigeria Police Force,” Modinat said.
Ajetunmobi was reportedly killed in a crossfire with armed bandits at Warehouse Road, Apapa.
Following his demise, the then Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Umar Manko, reportedly visited Apapa Police Division where he served and declared him a hero.
Recalling that Ajetunmobi had burst several crimes in the Command, the former CP urged others to emulate his devotion.
Ajetunmobi was said to be on the trail of three suspected armed robbers on motorcycle with two other policemen, simply identified as Wale and Abiola, around warehouse area of Apapa, when one of the robbers shot him in the forehead.
However, the family of the deceased corp is still waiting for compensation.
Modinat, one of his wives, told our correspondent, “The police authorities have abandoned the Ajetunmobis. They did not compensate the family. We have tried to get the money but they did not pay till date. See me; we are really suffering.
“They should remember and pay us so that we can live a better life. My husband was a warrior and a hero who fought crime in Lagos very well. The authority should remember us.”
Samuel Ekpe, a police officer was also shot dead by hoodlums. Ekpe’s wife, Koton, said the rigour of fending for her four children is becoming problematic for her as her income could no longer sustain the family.
She said she had to toil so much to feed the family.
According to her, for many years, the police authority did not pay compensation to her family.
The widow, however, said her husband’s entitlement was paid after spending so much money on travelling to and from Abuja with her first son.
She said her husband was the commander of a patrol team. A gang of robbers reportedly opened fire on the patrol team and Ekpe got killed in the process.
