The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has disbursed ₦2.317 billion in insurance and welfare benefits to 2,971 beneficiaries and next-of-kin of deceased police officers, in what the Force described as a demonstration of its commitment to personnel welfare and families of officers who died in the line of duty.
Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, presented the cheques to the beneficiaries in Abuja on Thursday, stating that the payments covered six policy years spanning 2017 to 2025 and included outstanding balances recovered from insurance companies.
Disu said the beneficiaries were entitled to a total of ₦2,317,177,094, stressing that the payment was about more than financial compensation for the families.
“Today, I am pleased to present benefits amounting to ₦2,317,177,094 to 2,971 beneficiaries,” the IGP said.
“Beyond the financial value, this exercise carries an important message: the Nigeria Police Force will not abandon the families of those who paid the supreme price.”
The police chief recalled the sacrifices made by officers killed while carrying out their duties, including personnel who lost their lives during operations in conflict-prone parts of the country.
He specifically referenced officers killed in Buni-Yadi, Yobe State, those who died during a rescue operation in Zamfara State, as well as 10 police personnel who were ambushed in Kebbi State.
According to him, the deaths of the officers represented sacrifices made in the service of the country, while the families they left behind continued to bear the consequences of their loss.
“No amount of money can replace the loved one you have lost. These payments represent our institutional responsibility and appreciation for their sacrifices,” Disu said.
He urged the beneficiaries to manage the funds responsibly, particularly by investing in the education, healthcare and general welfare of the children and dependants left behind by deceased officers.
The IGP also reaffirmed the commitment of the police authorities to improving the welfare of serving personnel, saying better working conditions, healthcare and housing remained important priorities.
“An institution that demands courage, discipline, loyalty and sacrifice must also show genuine commitment to the welfare of its personnel and their families,” he said.
Disu commended the insurance companies involved in the payment process but urged them to improve the speed with which claims are processed and settled.
He described insurance benefits as a “vital lifeline” for families who lose their breadwinners in the line of duty, stressing that prolonged delays could worsen the hardship faced by bereaved families.
The IGP disclosed that the Force Insurance Unit had recently embarked on sensitisation visits to six police commands and more than 50 divisions within the Federal Capital Territory to educate personnel on the procedures for accessing insurance and other welfare benefits.
The latest disbursement comes against the backdrop of years of complaints and protests by families of police officers killed in the line of duty over alleged delays in receiving their insurance benefits and other entitlements.
Across Nigeria, widows, children and other relatives of fallen officers have on several occasions staged demonstrations outside police headquarters and government offices, demanding payment of benefits they said were due to them.
Many of the protests have been marked by emotional appeals from widows who said their husbands had died protecting the country, only for their families to be left struggling to survive after their deaths.
Some protesters carried placards bearing messages such as, “Our husbands died for Nigeria, don’t let us die in hunger,” and “Pay our entitlements now,” in an attempt to draw attention to what they described as prolonged neglect.
The families have often complained that insurance claims were not settled promptly, with some beneficiaries saying they waited for years before receiving payments following the deaths of their relatives.
The delays became particularly contentious in cases involving officers killed during counter-insurgency, anti-banditry and rescue operations, where relatives argued that the state owed them a duty to provide timely financial support after the loss of their breadwinners.
Civil society organisations and activists have also joined the calls for greater accountability in the handling of police welfare and insurance claims.
Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, among others, has publicly lent his voice to campaigns concerning the welfare of security personnel and their families, arguing that the government has a responsibility to honour officers who lose their lives in the service of the nation by ensuring that their dependants are not abandoned.
The NPF’s latest payment therefore represents a significant step in addressing some of the longstanding complaints over unpaid or delayed insurance benefits, while also placing renewed attention on the broader question of welfare within the police institution.
For the beneficiaries, however, the financial support comes in the shadow of irreversible loss, with the police authorities acknowledging that no compensation can replace the officers whose lives were lost while serving Nigeria.