NSCDC • Civil defence corps attacked our men –Police

Police killed our men, aided vandals’ escape – NSCDC • Civil defence corps attacked our men –Police



The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Lagos State Command, says policemen on Wednesday allegedly killed two officials of the corps.

It was learnt that five other NSCDC officials sustained gunshot wounds during the incident which occurred around 3am.

The NSCDC told PUNCH Metro that the slain officials, Gabriel Adaji and Innocent Akegbe, were on duty with their colleagues when they were “gunned down” by the policemen

The Deputy National Public Relations Officer for the corps, Mr. Sola Odumosu, told our correspondent that the NSCDC officials had just finished a raid in Ikorodu and had arrested some suspected pipeline vandals when the incident occurred.

He said, “This incident occurred while the officers and men of the corps were returning from a successful anti-vandal operation where vandals were arrested along with their exhibits and being transported back to the state headquarters of the corps.

“According to an eye witness’ account, the vandals made calls to their police collaborators for support as they could not overwhelm the anti-vandals team of the corps.

“Immediately the police got wind of this, they laid siege to the corps and opened fire on the NSCDC patrol vehicles killing two, while others fled with gunshot wounds. The vandals were later released by the police.

“The men of the corps had refused to fire a single shot because they saw that the shooters were policemen. They only express shock at a sister agency who ordinarily should assist in fighting crime are the ones aiding the criminals while the vandals continue to flourish.”

Odumosu maintained that the killing was deliberate as the NSCDC men were in uniform while the vehicle they used during the operation was inscribed.

Another official who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, however, said the NSCDC officials had had an altercation with some policemen earlier

He said, “After the raid, the officials were driving along the expressway when they were accosted by a team of policemen. An argument ensued as one of the policemen said they had no right to operate in the area.

“The NSCDC men explained that it was their duty to protect all government facilities including oil pipelines. After some argument, our men left but unknown to them, a team of policemen had laid ambush ahead.

“The policemen opened fire on our men before fleeing.”

PUNCH Metro investigations revealed that one of the policemen while trying to flee left his service pistol and identity card at the crime scene.

The ID card made available to our correspondent belonged to one Inspector Sunday Gabriel with Force Number, 120622.

The police, however, denied the allegations, adding that they were responding to a distress call which came from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

The authorities insisted they knew nothing about the murder of the NSCDC men.

The spokesperson for the state police command, Ngozi Braide, said in a statement that while responding to a distress call from Deputy Manager, Security, Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, Mosimi that they were experiencing drop in pressure on the pipeline, the NSCDC officials attacked the police.

Braide said, “The Unit Commander in charge of Konu immediately pulled out his men under Inspector Sunday Gabriel to proceed to the scene.

“They (policemen) encountered NSCDC men on the way and an argument ensued after which the NSCDC officials attempted to arrest the policemen.

“The NSCDC men handcuffed the police team leader, Gabriel, and beat him up before fleeing with his gun and ID card.”

She said the command was therefore surprised to hear that two officials were killed.

She further alleged that hours after the incident, three policemen, Sgt Charles Igiebor, Cpl Ekun Julius and Cpl Okoro Charles, who went for National ID Card registration exercise on the premises of the NSCDC were attacked by NSCDC officials.




-- Punch

There are strong indications that the presidency has ordered the State Security Service, SSS to investigate the recent killing of two personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Ikorodu area of Lagos, south-west Nigeria.

It could be re-called that on Wednesday this week, two personnel of the NSCDC were gunned down in a yet to be determined circumstances.

Authorities of the para-military agency fingered the police as the brain behind the killing of their corps, while returning from a night anti-vandals operations, where some suspects were arrested.

According to the corps, some of the suspected vandals arrested “made calls to their police collaborators for support as they could not overwhelm the anti-vandal team of the corps.

“Immediately the police got wind of the information they laid siege for the NSCDC officers and opened fire on the patrol vehicles killing two.

“Others scampered for their lives with gunshot wounds as the vandals were released immediately by the police,” it said.

But, Ngozi Braide, the command spokesperson punctured the NSCDC angle, insisting that the police officers that arrived the scene of the operations did not kill the two corps. - All Voices