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Tag: NSCDC

  • NUJ condemns assault on reporter by NSCDC men

    NUJ condemns assault on reporter by NSCDC men

    The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has condemned the assault of a reporter, Waheed Adebayo of Leadership, by officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Ibadan, Oyo State, last Friday.

    Adebayo was manhandled by NCSDC officers at the installation of the Archbishop of Ibadan Catholic Archdiocese, Rev. Gabriel Abegunrin, at the SS Peter and Paul Seminary in Bodija, Ibadan. He was authorised by the church to cover the event.

    In separate statements yesterday, the NUJ, Zone B, and the Oyo State Council said they would sue the NSCDC.

    In the statements, signed by Zone B Vice-President Dele Atunbi and the Oyo State Council Chairman, Gbenga Opadotun, the NUJ described the assault on Adebayo as “criminal, brutish and appalling.”

    It said the action by the NSCDC officer was an infringement on Adebayo’s rights, adding: “The NUJ takes judicial notice of this barbaric action, which is least expected from a paramilitary organisation as the NSCDC, an organisation that should be civil in its actions.

    “The union demands a public apology from the NSCDC and reiterates its commitment to the protection of the rights of members. The union demands the identification of the men who committed the act and their reprimand.”

    The NUJ directed reporters to severe relations with the officers and men of the NSCDC, Oyo Command.

  • Oil theft: Civil defence prosecutes four suspects

    Oil theft: Civil defence prosecutes four suspects

    •Probes 14

    •Trains 230 officers

    The Bayelsa State Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) said yesterday that it was prosecuting the four persons it arrested in the creeks for vandalism and oil theft.

    State Commandant Mr. Desmond Agu said of the 18 arrested by the command for oil theft and vandalism last year, four were on trial at the Federal High Court.

    Agu said over 230 officers were trained in arms handling and internal security at the 343 Artillery Regiment, Nigerian Army, Elele.

    He said 14 other suspects were under investigation and would be arraigned later.

    Agu said anybody nabbed for economic crime would be tried to act as a deterrent to others.

    According to him, the war against vandals received a boost last year after the NSCDC national headquarters in Abuja allocated a patrol boat to the command.

    He said following the introduction of the boat, the command joined other security stakeholders, such as the Navy, Marine Police and the Joint Task Force (JTF) Operation Pulo Shield, in patrolling the creeks.

    Agu said oil companies, such as Shell and Agip had engaged his anti-vandal unit to protect their pipelines.

    “This action has reduced the activities of vandals on our waterways and along the pipelines,” he added.

    He said over 30 operatives had been deployed in government infrastructure for patrol.

    The NSCDC commandant said the command had also maintained a 24-hour surveillance on the assets owned by the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) and telecommunications companies.

    Agu, who listed the achievements of the command, said: “In the area of peace and conflict resolution, NSCDC has intervened and resolved conflicts, ranging from communal to maternal crisis.

    He added: “Some of the cases are the Ikolo community in Yenagoa and Amasoma community in Southern Ijaw; Otuabula versus Ewoi community in Ogbia Local Government; funeral crisis in Ogbarasi, the Obanacle of Owema community in Ogbia and Olugbene and oil company.”

     

  • JTF lays siege to Bayelsa community

    Troops from the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield, have laid siege to Igbomatoro, a community in Bayelsa State, notorious for oil theft in the Niger Delta.

    Investigations showed that illegal refineries dot the waterways of the community in Southern Ijaw Local Government.

    Besides, there is always movement of crude oil in barges, Cotonou boats and other smaller vessels along the highly-polluted waters of the community.

    JTF operatives were said to have begun a surveillance of the community on Sunday morning.

    The Police, Navy and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were said to have joined in the operation.

    Residents alleged that JTF arrived the community on nine gunboats and 15 speedboats.

    They said the soldiers were armed, accusing them of arresting, maiming and torturing innocent indigenes.

    According to a text message to our correspondent by a source in the community, who refused to mention his name, “JTF invaded Igbomatoru 1 and 2. They broke into people’s homes and forced youths to desert the place.

    “They arrived our community with nine gunboats and 15 speedboats, arresting, maiming and torturing innocent people. There is no offence to warrant this ugly incident.”

    But the JTF Media Coordinator, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said the people were not happy because they wanted the task force to leave the area to enable them continue economic sabotage.

    Nwachukwu, in a statement, said the operation was carried out by the troops of 343 Regiment Sector 2 of the JTF after investigations showed that the community was a hub of economic sabotage.

    “Troops of 343 Regiment of Sector 2 of the JTF, in a renewed vigour to combat oil bunkering in the Niger Delta, have carried out a cordon-and-search operation in Igbematoru community.

    “The combined troops of 343 Regiment, Nigeria Police and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps carried out the search on the hideouts of identified suspected oil bunkers .

    “The operation was informed by the disturbing fact that Igbematoru has been high on the graph of occurrences of oil bunkering, necessitating the operation.”

    Confirming that the operation was executed, the spokesman said it yielded positive results.

    According to him, the troops recovered the tools used for bunkering, such as 103 pumping machines, 32 hoses of various lengths and diameters, 17 hard saw machines and eight adjustable spanners.

     

  • Court strikes out suit against NSCDC

    An FCT High Court on Wednesday struck out a suit against the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) by one Abraham Attah over alleged breach of his fundamental human rights.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the case was thrown out for lack of diligent prosecution.

    In her ruling, Justice Maryann Anenih said the applicant had failed to prove that the NSCDC breached his fundamental human rights.

    Anenih said the applicant’s non appearance in court showed that he was not interested in the case.

    “The applicant filed a case that the NSCDC breached his fundamental human rights and it appears that he has lost interest in the matter.

    “Therefore, this case is hereby struck out for lack of diligent prosecution,” she said.

    According to her, the matter is struck out based on the provisions of the FCT High Court procedure rules.

    It will be recalled that the applicant had on August 2, 2013, sued the Commandant-General of the NSCDC for breach of fundamental human rights.

    The applicant asked the court to award N900, 000 as damage over his alleged arrest and detention by the NSCDC.

    He also sought an order of the court restraining the NSCDC from further arresting and intimidating him pending the determination of the suit.

     

     

  • Army hails synergy among security agencies

    Army hails synergy among security agencies

    The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Adebayor Olaniyi, has hailed the collaboration among security agencies.

    He said this had led to a reduction in kidnapping, oil theft and piracy, especially in Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.

    The Army chief spoke yesterday in Calabar, Cross River State, after inaugurating projects executed by the outgoing Commander, 13 Brigade, Brig.-Gen. Okwudili Azinta.

    Olaniyi emphasised that the cardinal principle of war was cooperation.

    He said: “I must commend the cooperation of the Armed Forces as well as other security agencies, such as the police, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Nigerian Customs Service. The cooperation has been unprecedented. They have been wonderful.

    “Most of the achievements we have recorded are because of this cooperation.”

     

     

    Adebayor Olaniyi

     

  • Civil Defence nabs 25 pipeline vandals, bunkerers

    Civil Defence nabs 25 pipeline vandals, bunkerers

    No fewer than 25 persons have been arrested by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC) in Oyo State for alleged bunkering and vandalism of oil facilities from January, this year till date.

    The state Commandant, Mr Shem Obafaiye, who made this known to reporters in Ibadan, the state capital, said the command also impounded four trucks, three tankers with stolen oil products and condensate fuel, six other vehicles, seven motorcycles and 774 kegs of fuel.

    Reviewing the activities of the Corps in the state in the last 10 months, Shem who spoke through NSCDC spokesperson in the state, Olusegun Oluwole, at its Iyanganku headquarters, said the rate at which criminals vandalise oil facilities was disturbing.

    He said the suspects were arrested at Elebu in Ibadan South West Local Government, Odo-Oba in Ogbomosho, Ibodo-Jesu in Ogo-Oluwa Local Government Area and Surulere Local Government Area.

    “These vandals play a hide-and-seek game but our intelligence gathering always exposed them despite that they operate at night. We also conduct our surveillance 24 hours daily, before we lay siege for them.

    “In all the areas where the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipelines pass through, our men conduct stop-and-search of vehicles and this has been helping the Corps to nab the vandals and the nefarious act is reducing in Oyo State,” the NSCDC boss said

    He noted that the security outfit operates in eight council areas in the state —Oluyole, Ibadan South West, Ido, Afijio, Oyo East, Surulere, Ogo Oluwa and Ogbomoso South

    Obafaiye noted that the Command, through intelligence gathering, has discovered that 10 barons are behind the pipeline vandalism in Oyo State, adding: “We have arrested and paraded six of the barons while the other four are still at large. “They are the ones sponsoring the pipeline vandals, by God’s grace we will arrest and parade them soon, it is just a question of time. The Federal Government has not made a mistake in giving that specific assignment to us and I am sure we will get there.”

    He said the Command has 15 pending cases in courts across the state against the economic saboteurs.

    Parading one of the suspects, Okunola Akinwale, Obafaiye said the 35-year-old man was arrested on October 9, this year at Odo-Oba area of Ogbomosho in Ogbomoso South Local Area by the NSCDC officials in collaboration with the Operation Burst Team.

    Before he was arrested, Akinwale, with others now at large, succeeded in loading 22,000 litres of fuel into the 33,000 litres tanker taken to the spot where the pipeline was burst. The tanker had a Lagos number plate XB 190 SMK.

    According to Obafaiye, the fuel tanker would be taken to the NNPC depot at Spats for offloading, while Akinwale would be prosecuted.

    He assured that the command would stop at nothing to flush-out criminals.

    Akinwale told The Nation, said he had never been involved in such illegal act before, adding that he was in his house at Gbagi area of Ibadan when a man  simply identified as Kazeem told him that he was going to load fuel and that he should follow him since he had  promised to help him secure a job, having lost his driving job about six month ago.

    “We only met twice and I do not know him much. He came to me and told me that he was going to load fuel in Ilorin and that I should follow him. When we got to Ogbomosho, inside a bush there we saw other people that had already fixed (burst) the pipe and were pumping the fuel. I had to stay at one corner and watch them until I was arrested, but they all escaped,” Akinwale explained

    The suspect, who claimed to be an indigene of Iresi in Osun State, said he was not aware of the nature of the job Kazeem was introducing to him.

    He went on: “For the past six month, my wife had been taking care of my three children, that is why I explained the situation of things to Kazeem. I did not know he would land me in trouble.”

  • NSCDC arrests ‘drugs dealers’, others in Jigawa

    THE Jigawa State Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Coups (NSCDC) has arrested three suspected dealers and distributors of cannabis sativa (Indian hemp) and other illicit drugs in Jigawa and neighbouring states.

    A statement in Dutse, the state capital, by the state commandant, Mallam Muhammad Gidado, gave the names of the suspect as Babandi Ibrahim (43), Aminu Ismail (25) and Abdullahi Umar (26), all of Zango Quarters in Gumel town.

    The statement said intelligence officers had been monitoring the suspects since August after being listed among people with questionable character.

    The NSCDC said the suspects confessed to the crime and would be handed over to the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further action.

    Also, the state command of the NSDC has arrested Biniya Umar (25) of Unguwar Kargo in Garki Local Government Area for allegedly stealing a laptop from a business centre in Dutse.

    He was reportedly arrested by detectives of the NSCDC immediately he committed the crime.

    The detectives were assigned to monitor his movements since September when he was put on the command’s diary of people with suspicious movements.

    The NSCDC added that his offence is contrary and punishable under Section 286 of the Penal Code and he would be charge to court.

    Umar reportedly admitted to committing the crime.

  • NSCDC arrest 3 kingpins of pipeline vandals

    Mr Shem Obafaiye, the Oyo State Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC),  says the command has arrested three of the six suspected leaders  behind pipeline vandalism  in the state.

    Obafaiye said this on Thursday at the command’s headquarters in Ibadan while parading a 35-year-old driver arrested for  oil pipeline vandalism.

    Acknowledging that the fight against vandalism was tough, Obafaiye  said the commitment of the NSCDC was to sustain the campaign.

    “The command has been able to arrest three out of the six barons we have identified to be the brains behind vandalism  in the state.

    “We will continue to fight and no matter the challenge that may arise in the course of performing our duties, we are resilient,” Obafaiye said.

    The News Agency of  Nigeria (NAN) reports that the suspect was  arrested in possession of a 33,000 litre tanker marked XB 190 SMK.

    Obafaiye said the suspect was arrested on Oct.  9 at Odo-Oba, Ogbomoso,  during  a joint operation of the NSCDC and the state police special squad known as “Operation Burst.”

    “They had succeeded in loading the truck with 22,000 litres of petrol, but on sighting our men, others escaped  while we arrested one person,” he said.

    Obafaiye said that the truck would soon be taken to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation for decanting.

    The suspect however, told reporters that he was not aware that his friend whom he thought was helping him was involved in pipeline vandalism.

    “I met Kazeem, the owner of this tanker,  who invited me  to load his tanker with fuel and because I was out of job for about six months, I thought this was the breakthrough.

    “It was not until we got to the site at about 1.00 a.m.  that I realised I was walking into trouble.

    “It was very late and I had only N90 on me. I could not shout or run. I was, therefore, stranded with them in the middle of nowhere.

    “I am married with three kids and my regret is that while Kazeem escaped with none of his phone lines going through, I was arrested,” he said. (NAN)

  • Oil Installations safety: DPR seeks to partner NSCDC

    Oil Installations safety: DPR seeks to partner NSCDC

    • Decries revenue losses

    The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has sought the assistance of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to help secure its vital assets and reduce revenue losses to the nation.

    The Director of DPR, Mr. George Osahon with his management team made the call for the partnership during a courtesy visit on the state Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Lagos State Command, Commandant Adesuyi Clement Dayo at their Ikeja Command.

    The DPR boss lamented the loss of revenue by the Federal Government through oil theft stressing the importance for relevant authorities to work in partnership towards ensuring that this criminality is stopped.

    He requested for partnership between DPR and NSCDC in the area of enforcement towards ensuring that the law takes its right course on the perpetrators of the crime.

    In response, the NSCDC boss said the partnership was a welcome development and promised to work together with the organization. He used the opportunity to throw more light on the NSCDC statutory functions and activities of the corps so far within the state. He said the corps members have tried their best towards monitoring and protection of oil installations in the country, but frown at recent sabotage being experienced by the corps from some unpatriotic members of the public.

    He used the same forum to ask for assistance from DPR and other relevant bodies in the area of logistics. This he believes will go a long way in assisting the corps towards monitoring of oil installations and other critical infrastructures within the state.

     

  • Police, NSCDC deploy 1,100 operatives in Bayelsa

    Security has been heightened in Bayelsa, the state of President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure a hitch-free 53rd Independence Day celebration today.

    It was learnt that security operatives had been placed on red alert to forestall any breach of the peace especially in view of the threat by the Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND).

    MEND had in September threatened to attack oil installations by October 1.

    The militant group had called on the oil giant, Chevron, to evacuate its Tank Farm in Escravos, which it claimed was one of its targets for the attacks.

    But sources from the JTF said major waterways and creeks in the region especially the ones located in Bayelsa State had been secured.

    There were fears that attacks might be sponsored in the state to embarrass the President.

    While JTF and the Central Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy were said to have deployed gunboats in the sea and creeks, the police including the state security outfit, Operation Doo-Akpo and the Ngerian Security and Civil Defence (NSCDC) were said to have secured the land.

    JTF’s Media Coordinator, JTF, Lt. Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said JTF’s troops had been put on red alert.

    “We have put our men on red alert to dominate the waterways. You know we don’t take things for granted”, he said.