Bama: Shettima adopts kids of slain policeman, donates N5m to victims

GOVERNOR Kashim Shettima of Borno State on Thursday adopted three children of one of the 22 policemen killed in the Tuesday morning attacks by suspected Boko Haram insurgents.
The adopted kids, Saviour, Emmanuel and John lost both father and mother to the bloody attack when the invaders raided the Bama mobile police barracks.
They were presented to the governor by top police officials.
Governor Shettima announced the adoption of the children when he visited various scenes of the incident.
While at the refugee camp, where 300 Internally Displaced Persons, (IDPs) mostly women and children were being sheltered, the governor, who was visibly piqued by the onslaught, urged the bereaved  families to consider the ugly trend as an act of God.
Shettima, who was accompanied by the Bama Police Area Commander, ACP Sagir Abubakar, gave assurance that government had adopted concrete security measures to forestall a recurrence.
While appealing for calm, Shettima equally donated N5 million to relations and families of the slain police officers as a palliative intervention to cushion their sufferings.
The state chief executive also told families of the victims that he resolved adopting the three orphans, in order for them to feel a sense of belonging, as well as offer meaningful contributions to their upbringing.
“Actually, it is not easy to lose a single soul, but the case of these children is quite different, as they lost both parents. For this, I am personally adopting them and will treat them as my own blood children. In fact, from now on they will be under my care as their feeding, education shelter and other needs will be my responsibility.”
In his remarks, the Police Area Commander thanked the governor for the gesture, saying police were ever-ready to continue partnering with the state government to see to the end of the insurgency.
He also told the governor that the whereabouts of the divisional police office (DPO) of the area remain unknown, as he was neither found dead or alive and contact with him was still not established.
Earlier, the governor visited the palace of the Shehu of Bama, Alhaji Kyari Ibn Ibrahim El-Kanemi, which shares same fence with the Bama prison yard, where 14 prison personnel were killed in the onslaught.
Our correspondent reported that Shettima, who returned to the Governnent House in Maiduguri late evening, came in company of the adopted kids.
Similarly, several wounded police officers also came with the governor, who declared that government would offset their medical bills.
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