The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) was Tuesday thrown into mourning following the death of seven police officers attached to the Special Forces Unit in a motor accident at Jaji Town along Kaduna-Zaria Road, even as 11 others are receiving medical treatment from injuries sustained from the accident.
A press statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, in Abuja, said: “The unfortunate incident, which involved an 18-seater Toyota Hummer bus conveying 18 personnel of the Unit, occurred at Jaji Town along Kaduna-Zaria Road.
“The deceased were part of an additional deployment made recently by the Force to boost the ongoing fight against bandits in Katsina state.
‘The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu, who described the incident as a huge loss to the Force, notes that the incident is one of the unfortunate sacrifices officers often encounter in the line of duty. He described the deceased as “Heroes of Peace”.
He said the IGP has condoled the families of the deceased officers, just as a team of Police Medical Personnel has been dispatched to Kaduna state where 11 officers that survived the accident were receiving medical attention.
According to the spokesperson, “Three of the deceased officers have been buried according to Islamic rites while the remains of the other four officers have been deposited in a Morgue.”
Meanwhile, Mba said the IGP has directed the Police Accounts and Budget Department to ensure the immediate payment of the burial expenses, benefits and other entitlements to the families of the deceased officers.
