Pat Stevens/
It has been revealed how family of one of the heroic policemen killed during a robbery attack in Imo State collected the N2 million given to the widow and gave her only N200,000.
The Punch, which launched a GoFundMe campaign for the late policemen’s family in collaboration with other social media activists, revealed this in a report today.
The two cops, Sergeant Chukwudi Iboko and Sergeant Sunday Agbo, were shot dead during a face-off with armed robbers, who stormed a branch of Zenith Bank on Wetheral Road, Owerri, Imo State.
Programme Executive, Development Support Initiative (DSI), Mr. Chinedu Okoronkwo, reportedly made the revelation during the handover of a store and a cheque, totalling N2,258,217.79, to Mrs. Blessing Agbo at Nnewi, Anambra State.
Okoronkwo said Agbo’s widow was empowered with a business to ward off in-laws who had earlier collected the money given to her by the Police and Zenith Bank, the Punch further reported.
Okonkwo said: “Police gave the widows N500,000 each and the bank also gave them money. The sum total of the money given to them was N2million each.
“It was so unfortunate that her (Mrs. Agbo’s) brothers-in-law collected the N2million from her and gave her only N200, 000.
“That is why we said no, that we cannot give her money any longer. Rather, we will empower her and watch her grow the business because she has children to care for.
“The reason we are handing over these things to the boy (son) is because of the so-called tradition that if she touches whatever that comes out of this, she will die.
“So, I have to hand over the shop to them through the son because the little encounter I had with the family, they actually came to take away what belonged to these people.
“So, we decided to do this in the name of their son, and nobody will take it and if their tradition kills, let me see how the tradition will kill their son.”
Also, Mrs. Rose Iboko, widow of Sergeant Iboko, received a cheque of N4,690,144.64.
Mrs. Iboko, who was accompanied by her son, Favour, received a cheque from the representatives of the two non-governmental organisations, appointed by PUNCH Nigeria Limited to oversee the disbursement of the funds at the Imo State Police Command in Owerri.
DSI was represented by its Executive Director, Mrs. Jacqueline Odiadi; while the the other, Rock of Ages Empowerment Foundation, was represented by its Project Manager, Mr. Hyginus Eze.
Photo: The PUNCH
Eze explained that Mrs. Iboko got N4,690,144.64 out of the N6,948,362.43 of the fund.
The total donation of $19,354.77 was exchanged at the rate of N359 to $1.
In her address, Odiadi explained that the Iboko family got a bigger share because the money was basically donated to take care of the family.
According to her, the second family was only discovered during investigation carried out by the NGOs.
She also revealed that the two NGOs undertook the task on pro bono basis because there was no profit made by either of them.
Imo State Commissioner of Police, Chris Ezike, was represented at the ceremony by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Administration), Tunji Abimbola.
Abimbola described policemen as endangered species, adding: “The statutory amount for this kind of thing is very meagre. This is the first time I am seeing this kind of gesture towards the police.”
According to the Punch, a total donation of $21,249 was received through GoFundMe to support the family after the video of the robbery attack went viral.
The newspaper further revealed: “The processes for the clearance of the donations took over two weeks, as extant US and Nigerian financial regulations had to be complied with before the funds were released by GoFundMe.
“The processes were managed and overseen by GoFundMe, three representatives of PUNCH comprising Ms. Adeola Fayehun of KIRWA Foundation; Mr. Kayode Ogundamisi and Mr. Omoyele Sowore of Sahara Reporters.
“After the deductions of relevant fees and charges, $19,394.77 was cleared for transfer to the beneficiaries.
“According to the information on the GoFundMe website, the payment processing fee is 2.9 percent, and another $0.30 per donation.
“GoFundMe also charges five percent platform fee, which comes to a total of 7.9 percent, plus $0.30 per donation.
“At the expiration of the fundraiser, GoFundMe paid $19,394.77 into the receiving account of KIRWA Foundation, an America-based charity organisation that collaborated with PUNCH Nigeria Limited on the fundraising.
“The processing bank charged $40 for wire transfer, leaving a balance of $19,354.77 for onward transfer to Nigeria. The $19,354.77 was wired on Monday, June 26, 2017 from the United States.”
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