…Warn anti-vandal taskforce against reckless use of firearms
The Commandant-General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abdullahi Mohammed, Thursday, threatened to arrest and prosecute officers and men of the outfit indicted for compromising the corps’ rules of engagements.
Mohammed, particularly, warned operatives of the NSCDC attached to the Taskforce on Oil and Gas in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, against engaging in acts capable of tarnishing the image of the corps.
Speaking in a meeting involving personnel of NSCDC in the corps’ command headquarters, Yenagoa, Mohammed said the security outfit would not spare anybody going against its rules of engagement.
The Commandant-General, who spoke through the Bayelsa State Commandant, Mr. Desmond Agu, urged the operatives to conduct their activities in the taskforce with high sense of professionalism.
He cautioned them against reckless use of firearms insisting that the rules on the use of weapons must be adhered to strictly.
He said NSCDC frowns on abuse of human rights maintaining that the corps’ code of conduct and ethics relating to the civil populace must guide the activities of the security operatives.
Addressing the operatives attached to the taskforce, he said: “This meeting is to remind you of the need to conduct your activities with high sense of professionalism and responsibility.
“The corps is very serious about our integrity and we cannot tolerate any action capable of tarnishing the image of NSCDC. If you compromise our principles, just know that we won’t spare you.
“We do not tolerate misuse of firearms. So, you must at all times remember our rules of engagement and strictly adhere to them. We have our Code of Conduct and Ethics especially as it relates to the civil populace. We won’t take any violation of human rights in your operations kindly.
“Anybody who goes against our code of conducts and rules of engagement and uses his firearms indiscriminately will be disgraced, dismissed and prosecuted. We are not joking”.
Mohammed, however, commended the operatives attached to the taskforce for their sacrifice and patriotism in their efforts to stop sabotage and vandalism of critical national infrastructures in the state.
He also thanked the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) and the state government for their support.
Mohammed further hailed the Chairman, coordinators and civilian components of the taskforce for risking their lives to safeguard oil installations in the council.
The meeting was attended by all the unit commandants of the corps in the state such as the second-in-command, DCC Udoeyop; Head of Administration, Idima Austin; Head of Operations, Ogbolo Fredrick and Commandant Anti-Vandal, Okeke Ejione.
Okeke in his remarks, Okeke said thanked the commandant-general for appreciating the efforts of the state command in safeguarding oil and gas installations in the creeks and swaps.
He said a civil defender must live above board adding that the corps’ motto, “collect bribe and die”, remained the guiding principle of NSCDC.
