The Commandant-General, C-G, of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Dr Ade Abolurin, Friday, escaped an attempt on his life as a police Inspector opened fire on his team at Ikorodu, Lagos.
Dr. Abolurin’s team comprising officers of the Nigerian Army, EFCC, ICPC, office of the Attorney General of the Federation among others, came under siege during an inspection and assessment tour of disposable forfeited items seized from suspected oil thieves.
NSCDC’s spokesman, Mr. Emmanuel Okeh, said in a statement in Abuja, Friday, “the attack was orchestrated by the arrest of some suspected vandals and oil thieves on the waters in possession of petroleum products in several jerry cans, including two big Cotonou boats.
The suspected police team who came in an unmarked danfo bus carrying AK47 riffles challenged the CG that they are in charge, so, he has no right to visit the area because it belongs to the police.
“The committee which the CG, NSCDC is the chairman was constituted by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and have for some time now been on assessment tour of the country for disposable forfeited items used for vandalism of critical infrastructure.
However, attempt by members of the committee to caution the officer was rebuffed by him and members of his team claiming that they are on a mission here so everyone should steer clear.
“Further investigation reveals that a distress call was put across to the suspected police team by the arrested vandals and upon arrival, their aim was to set them off the hook of NSCDC by threatening to shoot the CG who masterminded the arrest of their partners in this illicit business and secondly to prevent the committee from confiscating the recovered items which has become exhibits in event of prosecution”.
He added that it was however unclear if the suspected officer was working on a written script by a superior authority or just acting in his own capacity as one of the arrested vandals was in police uniform.
“What is however clear is that, this is the umpteenth time that officers and men of the corps has been brazenly harassed, molested, assassinated or maimed by officers of the Nigeria police in recent time in the cause of carrying out their legitimate assignments. Still fresh in our memory is the killing of two men of the anti vandal squad of the Lagos state command of NSCDC namely AIC Gabriel Adaji and IC Innocent Akegbe by the police in 2013”, the spokesman said.
He clarified that the Act establishing the NSCDC was unequivocal in its assignment of the duty of protection of critical infrastructure of government and national assets to the corps with tremendous record of achievement by the organization as evident in the various arrest of vandals in different parts of the country and prosecution of same to serve as deterrent to others .
Mr. Okey said that the corps was determined to ensure that President Goodluck Jonathan’s efforts in ensuring constant supply of petroleum products, uninterrupted power supply among others was actualized.
Vanguard.
