Personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) who died in active operations have been rewarded with payments of over 2.9 billion naira as insurance benefits.
Corps Commander Useni David Nauokhi who died of shocks as a result of ambush laid by Boko Haram insurgents in Yobe State was among those rewarded.
Nauokhi’s next of kin received a Cheque of 12.9 million naira on behalf of the family from the Commandant General of the Corps, Dr Ahmed Audi at the NSCDC Headquarters in Abuja on Friday.
The daughter of Assistant Commandant General, (ACG) Helen Amakiri Omavvayen also collected a cheque of 23.5 million naira as benefits for her mother who died in active service last year.
Others were Commandant Isaiah Ezekiel Madina who died in active service in Maiduguri, Borno state. The family collected a cheque of 17.7 million naira as benefits.
The family of late Commander Sanya Oyesanya Wasiu got 11.4 million naira, late Commander Ogbonayya F Ifeyinwa’s family got 11.9 million naira, and the family of Assistant Corps Commander, Peter Lillian got 7.1 million naira.
Explaining details of the disbursement to senior management Officers of the Corps during the Commandant General’s Quarterly Meeting in Abuja, Dr Audi said the disbursement of a total of 2.9 billion naira covered 150 officers’ claims approved for payments by the government.
Audi praised the Officers who died during insurgents’ activities for their gallantry, saying the insurgency was an asymmetric war that the military and security agencies were prepared to subdue with modern strategy/tactics in warfare.
He said the Quarterly Council meeting was aimed at reviewing challenges, and progress recorded so far and brainstorming on the core policies of the Corps to ensure peace and security for Nigeria.
The NSCDC boss said within the past three years, the Corps has prevented 103 kidnappers’ attacks on both public and private schools, out of 81,000 schools across Nigeria.
He noted that the Safe Schools Initiative manned by the Female Squad had done an excellent job of engaging would-be intruders and kidnappers in about 60,000 schools discovered to be vulnerable to attacks for lack of perimeter fencing and security posts.
According to Dr Audi, the Corps also intercepted and arrested 20 trailers loaded with vandalized rail tracks, while 350 illegal refineries have been destroyed in the south-south region within the past three years.
Audi commended his personnel for their courage and excellent performances during joint operations with the military and other security agencies, saying that they have proven their relevance in the security architecture of the country.
He also praised President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo for attending to the welfare of the personnel, saying that it was their approval that ended the era of stagnation in the Service as over 3000 personnel were promoted this year alone.
Source: The Nation
