Mr. Adebowale Lawal, the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, has advised officers of the Command to always update their service records to prevent delay in the payment of entitlements to their families, particularly after their death.
Lawal gave the charge on Thursday in Akure while receiving a delegation from the Girls and Women Empowerment Network International (GWENI), led by its co-founder, Mrs Adesola Ajayi.
The group, comprising widows of deceased police officers, paid a courtesy visit to the command headquarters to table their grievances over unpaid benefits.
During the interaction, the police commissioner expressed worry over the backlog of burial expenses and gratuities yet to be paid, describing the situation as deeply troubling.
Lawal attributed part of the challenge to officers’ failure to regularly update their service records and the difficulties that arise in identifying legitimate next-of-kin, especially in cases involving polygamous families.
“I am surprised I could see burial expenses as far back as 2011 and 2014 on the list you are showing me,” Lawal stated.
“The present leadership of the Nigeria Police Force places utmost priority on pensions, gratuities, and the overall welfare of officers, both serving and retired.”
He explained that while there are procedures for processing death benefits, many families encounter avoidable delays due to poor documentation and lack of follow-up.
According to him, once an officer passes on, a signal is usually dispatched to the appropriate unit, and relevant forms are issued to the family for processing.
“At every stage, there must be accurate documentation and consistent follow-up. Some officers even fail to update their payment point after being reposted to new commands, further compounding the process,” he said.
Lawal revealed that the command recently organised a workshop focused on pension matters, designed to enlighten officers on the importance of record-keeping and accurate documentation.
Earlier, Ajayi said the visit became necessary to bring the suffering of the widows to the attention of the command and seek the intervention of the commissioner for expedited release of the outstanding benefits.
The lawyer and women’s rights advocate lamented the endless delays and bureaucratic bottlenecks that have kept many families in hardship for over a decade.
“When the issue was brought to my attention, I was deeply moved by the suffering these women and their children are enduring.
“Their husbands served the nation diligently, yet they are being subjected to years of neglect. Many of the cases date back to 2010 and 2011, and yet their documents remain problematic,” she said.
Ajayi, however, commended the police commissioner for granting the audience and for his expressed willingness to look into the matter.
She expressed hope that the needed steps would be taken to deliver long-awaited justice to the affected families.
