Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
The Human Rights, Liberty Access, and Defenders Peace Foundation (HURIDE), has donated N200,000 to the victims of Onitsha fuel tanker disaster.
The chairman of HURIDE Mr Dede Uzor, who announced the donation, said the beneficiaries would be the widows among the victims.
He said 20 widows would benefit from the gesture, stressing that each of them would receive N10,000.
Uzor said that the group had donated N10,000 to a police officer who sustained injuries during the inferno near Ochanja.
The police officer, Inspector Clifford Ome, attached to Central Police Station (CPS), who was reported to have fallen from a police vehicle when the police were escaping from angry mob who chased officers during the fire disaster, had hit his head on the ground and sustained serious head injuries.
He was first taken to New Hope Hospital before being transferred to Enugu Hospital for further treatment where he can be closer to his family.
Uzor, who made the donation at the Central Police Station (CPS), commended the gallantry of the officer and his colleagues, describing it as unfortunate the action of the mob.
He said it was not unlikely that the mob were mainly a bunch of criminals who wanted to use the inferno as cover to steal traders’ wares, which they knew police would prevent. Although it was said that the mob were angered by the absence of fire fighters during the inferno.
Uzor said the donation was a token from the Foundation to show solidarity with the Nigeria Police Force, assuring that they will do more in the weeks to come.
Receiving the donation, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Central Police Officer (DPO), SP Ifeanyi Iburu, commended HURIDE for their gesture.
He called on others to emulate the action of the Foundation.
The DPO assured that in spite that the unfortunate incident the police will not shy away from protecting the lives and property of citizens.