Mr Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police, said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Echeng Echeng, presented the cheques to the families on behalf of the IGP.

The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali (IGP), has presented N43.2 million to families of 20 police officers who lost their lives in active service in Anambra State.

The police spokesperson in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

Mr Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police, said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Echeng Echeng, presented the cheques to the families on behalf of the IGP.

"The gesture is an initiative of the IGP's family welfare insurance scheme aimed at giving succor to the family of police officers who died in active service," he said.

The police spokesperson said the gesture was aimed at "spurring officers to greatness while discharging their statutory duties with assurance that their welfare is of paramount importance to the administration of the (Nigeria Police) Force."

Mr Echeng thanked the IGP for his "relentless efforts towards ensuring a good welfare package for personnel of the Nigeria Police Force," Mr Ikenga said.

The police commissioner urged the beneficiaries to "use the money wisely by investing in a profitable venture" in order to cater for the needs of people left behind by the deceased.

He said the IGP had sent similar funds to the police in the state which were shared to the beneficiaries accordingly

Police officers and officials of other security agencies have been the target of deadly attacks mainly in the South-east and South-south by gunmen said to be part of the Biafra agitation in the two regions.

The Indigenous People of Biafra, a group leading the agitation for the creation of an independent state of Biafra from the South-east and some parts of South-south, has been accused of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the two regions.

But the group has repeatedly denied its involvement in the attacks.