The Nigerian Senate has approved a N50 million donation to the families of three security operatives and two teachers who lost their lives during the rescue operation for abducted pupils and teachers in Oriire local government area of Oyo State.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the donation on Tuesday during plenary in Abuja, adding that each of the five bereaved families would receive N10 million from the upper legislative chamber.
Akpabio recalled that the Senate had, on Monday, commended President Bola Tinubu and the security agencies for the successful rescue operation.
He said: “Yesterday, the Senate copiously and seriously deliberated and commended Mr. President and security agencies on the rescue of our children who were in captivity for about 56 days.
“So, from the Chief of Army Staff to the Director General of the SSS to the Inspector General of Police, and of course the Minister of Defence, and particularly the Commander-in-Chief that led the operation.
“We also noted the fact that three of the personnel who went for rescue operations lost their lives in the course of trying to rescue those children.
“An army lieutenant from Adamawa was killed, a police sergeant was killed, another private soldier was killed, and many people were wounded.
“So, we have taken the motion to applaud the government, we applauded the security agencies, and we are pleading that the same be extended to any other part of the country wherever there may be any Nigerian in captivity.
“So today we just felt, after a discussion with the leaders, that we are going to also support the victims’ families. Like the young lieutenant was just 28 years old.
“So we are sending a token of N50 million to them, to be divided among the five deceased families — the families of the two teachers and the families of the three operatives who lost their lives — N10 million each on behalf of the Senate.”
Akpabio subsequently directed Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele to present the cheques to the bereaved families on behalf of the senate alongside other lawmakers.
