Ombatse: Widows of slain operatives yet to receive terminal benefits, one year after

From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

Widows of the slain security operatives murdered in Alakyo allegedly by the Ombatse militia group, have lamented that the police authorities are yet to settle the terminal benefits of their spouses, one year after they were killed on active duty.

The women, who defied the early morning rains yesterday, turned up in Akwanga, opposite the Mobile Police (MOPOL) barracks wearing black, in solemn commemoration of the deaths.

They wailed and rolled on the ground, shedding tears of grief, while at the same time praying for the departed souls of their husbands, a pathetic situation that quickly drew the attention of onlookers.

Ahead of the scheduled visit of President Goodluck Jonathan to the state, the bereaved women stated that since they lost their husbands in Alakyo, police authorities are yet to settle the terminal benefits of their spouses.

Ann Daniel, a university graduate, speaking on behalf of the mourners, disclosed that they are yet to be paid the terminal benefits of their husbands. She lamented that the Northern Governors Forum (NGF) is yet to redeem the N100 m it pledged to the widows.

“The police have done nothing about their entitlements. We were told they will process it as a group not on individual basis but it is one year now and we heard nothing” she said.

On the decision of the state government to implement the white paper issued after the judicial commission of inquiry instituted to investigate the murder of the security operatives in Alakyo has submitted its report, the bereaved women demanded that all those indicted in the report be arrested and made to face the law.

She pleaded with the state government to do all in its capacity to see that justice is done but however warned that they will be monitoring events closely and that “if government will not do anything, we are ready to do something on our own.”

Happiness Dampeshi, another of the widows, told reporters that life has been difficult for her taking over her children.

She lamented that even with the N1.5 million the police authorities gave her, her husband’s relatives have taken a lion share out of the money, leaving her with almost nothing.