The Nigerian Senate has approved a 50 million Naira donation to support the families of three security operatives and two school teachers who lost their lives during a successful operation to rescue abducted pupils and teachers in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the financial support during a plenary session in Abuja, explaining that each of the five affected families would receive a sum of 10 million Naira from the upper legislative chamber as a token of appreciation and condolence. This development follows a prior legislative session where the Senate formally commended President Bola Tinubu and the nation's security agencies for their tactical execution of the rescue mission.
Akpabio recalled that the Senate had extensively deliberated on the matter, praising the collaborative efforts of the Chief of Army Staff, the Director General of the State Security Service, the Inspector General of Police, the Minister of Defence, and the Commander-in-Chief. He noted that the rescued children had spent approximately 56 days in captivity before finally being freed.
The Senate President highlighted the supreme sacrifices made by the personnel during the high-stakes mission, pointing out that a 28-year-old army lieutenant from Adamawa State, a police sergeant, and a private soldier lost their lives, while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries. He expressed the Senate's desire to stand by the grieving families, noting that the legislative body felt it was necessary to match its words of commendation with tangible support for those who paid the ultimate price.
The 50 million Naira donation will be divided equally among the families of the two deceased teachers and the three fallen security operatives, yielding 10 million Naira for each family. To ensure the swift delivery of the relief funds, Akpabio directed the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, to lead a delegation of lawmakers to formally present the cheques to the bereaved families.
