Four months after no fewer than 35 mobile police officers were declared missing following Boko Haram attack on a Mobile Police College in Gwoza, Borno State, the inspector-general of Police, IGP Suleiman Abba, has pledged that the Nigeria Police would find the officers dead or alive.
The IGP made the pledge in Nasarawa State where he gave the sum of N7million to 14 women who were wives to some of the missing 35 police officers, Leadership reports.
Abba, who gave the sum of N500, 000 to each of the women, explained that the gesture was to alleviate their suffering.
Following the breakdown of the N500, 000, it was gathered that N200, 000 was from the Police Reward Fund, N200, 000 from the Nigeria Police Welfare Insurance while the N100, 000 was donated from the office of the IGP.
The meeting was held at the premises of No. 38 Police Mobile Force (38 PMF) Squadron, in Akwanga area of the state, where the families of the victims assembled. The IGP reportedly expressed worry over the fate of the missing officers.
Abba also gave 20 tubers of yam, one bag of rice and one gallon of vegetable oil to each of the women and 84 other wives of policemen whose husbands died in line of duty, while more than 62 widows of policemen ambushed and killed by members of the Ombatse cult at Alakyo village in Nasarawa State on May 7, 2013, were also beneficiaries of the IGP’s gifts.
The police boss promised the women that the search for the missing police officers would be intensified until they were either found alive or dead.
“Those whose husbands are still missing, let me say that we are still pained, we are still hopeful and we have not stopped the efforts to trace them, wherever they are, and we will not relent until we are able to account for each and every one of them; this I want to assure you. Without mincing words and with due consideration to the status of my office, we mean every word we say: the search continues, the hope is still there,” Abba said.
The IGP also pledged that the outcome of investigation into the killing of some police officers by the Ombatse cult group, as well as panel constituted by the Nasarawa state government on the incident would be quickly enforced.
It would be recalled that some police officers were declared missing after members of the Boko Haram terrorist group sacked the Police Mobile Force training school at Gwoza on August 20.
It was reported that one of the missing officers, resurfaced and resume duty about three months later.
