Once a towering figure with a robust build that betrayed his years as a Two-Star Traffic Warden police officer, Sunday Ogwo Okpalle now stands slightly bent, a testament to the toll of aging and the absence of his former law enforcement routine.
In an unexpected twist of fate, the retired police superintendent has found himself reduced to begging for survival on the streets of Niger State.
A News Outlet first encountered Okpalle around 7 a.m. on a penultimate Tuesday.
He was flagging down every private vehicle, Keke NAPEP, and Achaba, conveying to occupants that he had not eaten since the night before.
Some responded with hurried searches of their bags and pockets, offering him money, while others either ignored him or dismissed him as a habitual beggar.
At times, Okpalle could be seen by the roadside, extending his hand to receive alms from public-spirited commuters.
Persistence paid off as Okpalle, who later disclosed his name as Okpella, explained that he resorted to begging due to the skyrocketing cost of living, coupled with irregular pension payments.
The retired police officer, who served for 35 years, highlighted the financial challenges he faced after retirement.
Okpella, speaking in pidgin, nostalgically recalled the sweetness of his active-duty years. “When I dey work, the work sweet because if I go work at times, I dey see N3000, N4000 before work close, but now, I no dey see again anything again,” he lamented.
He detailed the struggles he faced in receiving his entitlements after retirement, emphasizing the delayed payment of his gratuity and meager pension of N30,000, later increased to N31,000.
With a family to support and a rent of N50,000 due by April next year, Okpella found himself in dire straits.
Despite his service in various police stations, including Bosso Division, Paiko, Central Police Station, and Suleja, Okpella’s financial woes persisted.
His attempts to secure alternative employment were met with refusal, leaving him with no option but to beg for alms to feed himself and his family.
Born in 1969, Okpella clarified that there was no difference between a traffic warden and a conventional police officer, as they performed similar duties.
He explained that his promotion from corporal to two stars in 2018 did not translate into improved living conditions, as promised allowances were never received.
Okpella, with a glint of hope in his eyes, pleaded for assistance, expressing the need for the government to fulfill its financial obligations to him.
“I want people to help me. Here, they don’t help people. They don’t give you more than N500. Before, I was not begging, but it was after things started getting more difficult as a result of the rising cost of living,” he implored.
Okpella yearns for the government to release his funds so that he can secure a means of livelihood for himself and his family, freeing him from the humiliating life of a beggar on the streets of Niger.
