The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps

  • Osibanjo assures completion of collapsed Mokwa-Jebba Bridge

    Osibanjo assures completion of collapsed Mokwa-Jebba Bridge

    Acting President Yemi Osibanjo has assured that the temporary bridge linking the Mokwa-Jebba road would be completed in the next two weeks to ease the difficulties faced by motorists using the route.

    Just as he said that the federal government is working towards reviving the rail transportation as an alternative means of transportation to reduce damages on the roads.

    The Acting President stated this Monday when he visited the collapse bridge at Tatubu village in Mokwa local government area of Niger state.

    “This is an important route and we can assure you all that the temporary road would be done as fast as possible. we have gotten the assurances from the contractor handling the road. the road will be prone passable in a forthnight. by then, I believe that there will be better movement of goods and vehicles.”

    Osibanjo said that everything is being mobilised for the completion of the temporary road, “although there are challenges in moving materials from Jenna to the site, everyone is committed to making sure that the road is made passable as quickly as possible.”

    He however lamented that most of the roads across the country are taking more loads than they can carry which is causing the collpase of several roads and bridges across the country.

    “This is a huge nation with several road network and we have to understand that most of the roads are taking much heavy traffic and tonnage than they can take. This road for instance is supposed to take 35 tonnes but it is taking 70 genes vehicles.”

    The Acting President said that focus is being paid to revitalising the rail network emphazing the need for an alternative way of transportation that will ease the tension off the road, “the roads are not strong enough to take 70 to 80 tonnes of load, that is why we are working hard to make sure the rail network itakes off as soon as possible.”

    He appealed to the motorists to exercise patience and cooperate with the contractors to ensure that the work goes smoothly and fast.

    Earlier, the Director of Highway Designs and Bridges from the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transportation in charge of the project, Engineer Sylvester Jijingi explained that it will take 14 days for the completion of the temporary bridge while the permanent bridge which would be a dual bridge will be complete by December.

    He said that N2.5 million have been released for the completion of the project.

    Jijingi stated that the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Police and men from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps are on ground to ensure free traffic flow adding that they are working round the clock to ensure that the project is completed on schedule.

     

    “This is an important route and we can assure you all that the temporary road would be done as fast as possible. we have gotten the assurances from the contractor handling the road. the road will be prone passable in a forthnight by then, I believe that there will be better movement of goods and vehicles.”

     

     

  • NSCDC suspends operative for shooting at doctor’s car

    NSCDC suspends operative for shooting at doctor’s car

    The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has concluded investigations into an allegation that two of its operatives harassed a medical doctor, Bekewari Sampou and shot at his car in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

    The incident, which happened on April 28, involving two civil defenders, Akpoghomhe Jude and Ogodo Richman, generated concerns among members of the public.

    The corps set up a seven-man committee headed by NSCDC’s Head of Intelligence and Investigation Department, Deputy Commandant Anyanwu G.C  with the mandate to investigate all the circumstances surrounding the incident.

    The state Commandant, Mr. Desmond Agu, said following the report of the committee, Jude Akpogho, was indicted and was subsequently suspended from the corps.

    Agu spoke at the command’s headquarters in Yenagoa when a Pan-African group, Initiative for Positive Influence on African Youth (IPIAY) bestowed him with a distinguished leadership merit award.

    He said the corps would never condone indiscipline especially the misuse of firearms by officers and men of NSCDC.

    He said following the meeting between the executive members of the Nigerian Medical Association and the NSCDC, the corps resolved to compensate the victim.

    Agu warned officers and men of the corps to desist from any act that could tarnish the image of NSCDC.

    Receiving the award before the senior officers of the command, the commandant said it was an honour to be remembered for an award by IPIAY, whose membership cut across most African countries.

    He asked members of the group to feel free and enjoy their stay insisting that the state and the country were highly secured.

    “The NSCDC has helped immensely to keep the country safe. We are proactive in our approach to security matters and we will continue to contribute our quota to ensure that peace reigns in the country”, he said.

    Referring to the corps as a peacemaker, he assured the visitors that the award would boost the morale of NSCDC to do more in the state in realising its mandate.

    Earlier in his speech, the Head of Mission, Mr. David Christophe, described Agu as a rare gem, administrative icon, a man of outstanding understanding and a true son of Africa.

    Christophe, who hails from Togo led other delegates, Kwase Kudjoe (Ghana), Esther Okeke (Cameroon), Gabriel Kamoya (Kenya), Semira Ikhina (Benin Republic) and Paul Mathew (Nigeria) to give the award to the commandant.

    Christophe said the group was founded to identify selfless leaders, whose styles were in line with Pan-Africanism, and encourage them.

    He said Agu had demonstrated sterling leadership qualities in his career through his contributions to the growth and development of the NSCDC.

    Addressing Agu, he said: “Without fear of contradictions, you were found worthy to receive the youth Africa distinguished merit award as the most outstanding commandant in recognition to your immense contributions to nation-building and effective service delivery to NSCDC”.

     

  • Adamawa inaugurates task force on environmental problems

    Adamawa Government on Thursday, inaugurated a special task force to tackle environmental problems confronting residents of Yola, the state capital.

    Dr Umar Bindir, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), who inaugurated the committee in Yola, urged committee members to stop illegal hawking and trading within the area.

    Bindir also advised the committee to remove all the temporary structures along major roads that were not in line with the township development master plan.

    He also mandated the committee members to maintain and sustain clearing of drains as well as to control haphazard packing of vehicles along major roads.

    Bindir, who directed members to submit their report within three months for implementation, enjoined, advised them to be fair to all citizens in the discharge of their assignment.

    Response, Alhaji Abdurrahman Jimeta, Chairman of the committee, promised that the committee would carry out its duty without fear or favour.

    Jimeta, who is the Chief of Staff to the governor, said that the committee would also make the environment sector another source of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for the state government.

    He further said that the sector would be made to create jobs for the youth as well as to create wealth for the residents.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that members of the committee were drawn from the Police Command the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).

    Others are Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO), Office of the Attorney-General, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Land and Survey, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Ministry of Commerce and Industries among others.

     

  • NSCDC nabs five over fraud, cultism in Ondo

    The Ondo Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) said it had arrested four suspected fraudsters and a cultist terrorising the people of state.

    Adeyinka Fasiu, NSCDC Commandant in Ondo, said in a statement that the fraudsters were arrested after successfully duping a student of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.

    “The fraudsters cornered the student to their hideout where they collected his N58, 000 school fees, Techno phone and wallet containing school ID card and voter’s card,” he said.

    The statement, signed by the command’s spokesman, Kayode Balogun, said that the NSCDC also arrested a middle age woman for duping a 17-year-old girl.

    “After hypnotising the girl, the suspects told her to bring her parent’s money and threatened that if she tells anybody she would run mad.

    “The teenager, out of fear, stole her parents’ N90, 000 and gave it to the suspect,’’ the statement said.

    Also, a student was arrested for cultism after attacking a fellow student with machete during an inter house sports competition.

    “He was caught with machete, axe and arrow suspected to have been used to perpetrate the act,” he added.

    The NSCDC boss said that all the suspects would be charged to court once investigation was completed.

    He appealed to the public to give useful information about the criminal activities to the security agents in order to rid the state of all forms of criminality

  • Gunmen kidnap trader in Niger

    Eight gunmen on Sunday kidnapped a Trader, Alhaji Nuhu Isa, in Lambata village of Gurara Local Government Area of Niger.

    The Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the state, Mr Philip Ayuba, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Tuesday.

    Ayuba said the gunmen had already used the victim’s cell phone to call his family and demanded N1 million ransom.

    He said the kidnappers came with sophisticated weapons shooting indiscriminately in the village before taking the trader away.

    He said the command had already swung into action to rescue the trader alive.

    “We are collaborating with other security agencies to rescue the trader alive,” the commandant said.

    He called on residents of Gurara, Suleja and Paikoro Local government areas to offer useful information that could assist in rescuing the victim.

     

  • Lawmaker accuses security personnel of sexual harassment

    A member of the House of Representatives, Abudulrahman Abubakar (Adamawa-APC), on Tuesday alleged that security personnel at checkpoints in the North-East sexually harassed girls under the guise of conducting checks.

    Abubakar made the allegation while moving a motion on the need to investigate the activities of security personnel at the checkpoint along the Yola-Girei road in Adamawa.

    He said the checkpoint was manned by officers of Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    According to him, commuters on the road are regularly subjected to harrowing experiences at the checkpoint by the officers.

    The lawmaker alleged that commuters were often diverted into secluded areas under the guise of intensive checks and were harassed and intimidated.

    According to him, the officers, oftentimes, allegedly abuse hapless young girls sexually.

    He said that due to lack of substantive evidence, appropriate authorities often turned blind eyes to these unfortunate incidents.

    The legislator said that the situation had turned the checkpoint into a tool of flagrant extortion, harassment and abuse of commuters at gunpoint.

    According to him, if the brutality and harassment of commuters are not checked and officers duly sanctioned, they can become more emboldened to commit worse crimes.

    In his ruling, Speaker of the House, Mr Yakubu Dogara, mandated the Committee on National Security and Intelligence to investigate the allegation and report back to the house within six weeks.

     

  • NSCDC arrests two persons for alleged diversion of fuel in Borno

    NSCDC arrests two persons for alleged diversion of fuel in Borno

    Borno Command of  Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Wednesday said it arrested two persons and seized 47 jerry cans containing diverted fuel in the state capital.

    The Commandant of the Corps, Ibrahim Abdullahi, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri.

    Abdullahi said that the command also sealed a filling station at Tashan Bama area of Maiduguri metropolis for selling of fuel at N165 to unsuspecting customers as against the maximum official pump price of N145 per litre.

    He said that the command also intercepted a golf car used by black-marketers to divert fuel to unknown destinations.

    “Forty-seven empty jerry cans were also seized from black marketers in various filling stations in the state capital.

    “It is unfortunate that some people always want to take advantage of situations to defraud innocent citizens.

    “Immediately NUPENG announced its strike, most filling stations in Borno, closed their stations and started selling to black marketers.

    “They usually open their filing station at night when security agents and other people are not watching; we have been notified and we are going after them,” he said.

  • NSCDC arrests two suspected drug vendors in Jigawa

    NSCDC arrests two suspected drug vendors in Jigawa

    The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Jigawa said on Thursday that it had arrested two suspected drug vendors.

    The Commandant of the Corps, Malam Muhammad Durumin-Iya, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse that his men arrested the suspects at the Central Motor Park, in Kanti quarters, Kazaure Local Government Area of the state.

    He said that the suspects (names withheld), were arrested with 25 sachets of Rochi tablets and nine bottles of Benelin cough syrup.

    He said the suspects who confessed to committing the offence, had been handed over to the office of the National Drugs Law and Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further action.

    Durum in-Iya advised the public to stop patronising local drug vendors, saying drugs bought from such vendors were not good for use.

    According to him, such drugs are not kept under the prescribed temperature, thereby rendering them harmful for human consumption.

    “Each drug carries information concerning the temperature under which it is supposed to be kept.

    “But these local and illegal vendors expose their drugs to the sun all the time, and for this, these drugs expire and become dangerous to consume,” he said.