While we remember the bravery of two officers at a Zenith Bank robbery in Owerri, Imo State, some officers of the Nigeria Police Force have decried the alleged abandonment of their family members by the police authorities, and other stakeholders.
The officers, who spoke with a news medium on condition of anonymity, said that meager welfare package, poor equipment and absence of a good insurance policy discouraged them from giving their best.
Many of them reportedly said they would never lay their lives on the line.
A police inspector in Lagos said he saluted Chukwudi’s bravery after seeing a clip of the robbery.
He said, “Honestly, some of us are ready to do the work, but once you die on duty, nobody cares for your family. Even in the barracks, you live, your family will be thrown out. Many policemen run away when they see robbers because they know that if they die, their family will suffer. It is not as if we are not trained to confront robbers.
“The police authorities need to do something that will encourage officers to serve the country well. The policemen died in the course of duty and deserved special rewards.
“The police don’t have working life insurance scheme. It is only the Lagos State Government that considers such for policemen that die in the course of duty. The police only have N300,000 to give to your family members and it may take years before it gets to them. Our salaries are nothing to write home about. A police constable earns between N40,000 to N45,000. As an inspector, I don’t earn up to N70,000 and I’m almost two decades old in service.”
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