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Tag: the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)

  • NSCDC’s mining marshals shut illegal site in Kaduna

    NSCDC’s mining marshals shut illegal site in Kaduna

    Mining marshals of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have shut an illegal mining site in Damau community in Kubau Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

    NSCDC’s spokesman Babawale Afolabi said the affected site is in a tin-rich area belonging to Trobell Minerals Limited but allegedly overrun by illegal miners.

    Afolabi said the corps Commandant-General, Dr. Ahmed Audi, had instructed that effective strategy and approach be put in place to stop illegal miners and address insecurity.

    The spokesman noted that the illegal activities of the miners had led to serious economic losses, environmental degradation, and persistent insecurity in the area.

    He added that besides reaching out to community leaders, the marshals also adopted non-kinetic means through community engagement to address some challenges.

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    In a statement in Abuja, Afolabi said the NSCDC engaged traditional leaders and community youths in a series of deliberations to allow the miners to vacate the site under supervision without resistance.

    The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, hailed the mining marshals for peacefully resolving previous clashes at illegal sites in other parts of the country, where enforcement had often turned confrontational.

    The minister urged communities across the country to support the Federal Government to stamp out illegal mining.

    He sought cooperation with the mining marshals to fish out culprits.

    “The Kaduna operation could serve as a model for future interventions, if we get the buy-in of locals and community leaders. Illegal mining and insecurity remain major obstacles to the development of the mining sector. 

    “However, the outcome in Damau offers a glimpse of how a mix of enforcement and dialogue can turn the tide. I urge communities to cooperate with us to deal with this menace and restore investor confidence in the sector,” he said.

    Also, a member of the community, who spoke in confidence, praised the marshals for doing a good job.

    “The diplomatic approach is commendable. The activities of the dislodged illegal miners posed a serious threat to lives, livelihoods, and investment. This intervention brings long-awaited relief,” he said.

    During the commemoration of the maiden anniversary of the Mining Marshals, Alake had reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to empowering the squad for greater effectiveness.

    “The reward for hard work is more work,” he told the operatives, pledging more support.

  • NSCDC intensifies war against oil thieves, arrests two in Abia

    NSCDC intensifies war against oil thieves, arrests two in Abia

    The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has announced the arrest of two oil thieves in the Ukwa-West local government area of Abia state.

    The spokesman for the NSCDC, Babawale Afolabi, announced the arrest in a statement in Abuja. 

    He said the arrest was made following the Corps raids of suspected operational locations of the oil thieves.

    According to Afolabi, the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad carried out the operations where the suspects were arrested while tampering with laid crude oil flow pipeline and siphoning over 100, 000 litres of oil around Umuhololo/Etitiuzor Road, Owaza in Ukwa-West Local Government Area in Abia State.

    He gave the names of the suspects as Chukwuekpe Okeke and Kingsley Madubuachi Cornelius.

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    “The NSCDC Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CG’s SIS) acted swiftly to an intelligence that some suspected vandals and miscreants were vandalizing installed crude oil pipelines which pass through the Umuhololo community, Owaza, Ukwa West LGA of Abia State.

    “The squad operatives on arrival at the reported location discovered massive storage of stolen and siphoned crude oil some carefully packaged inside cellophane nylons with an estimated quantity of about 100,000 litres”, Afolabi said.

    He added that the suspects have confessed to the crime under investigation. 

    He said exhibits recovered from the suspects include different sizes and colours of industrial hoses, plastic buckets and valves used for controlling supply after illegally tapping the trunk line, one Magnetic Black & blue Tecno button, and one Legend XYM SYM black colour motorcycle.

    Afolabi said the commandant general of the NSCDC, Dr Ahmed Audi, praised those who volunteered intelligence information for the squad and called on Nigerians to continue to support security agencies to enable them to rid the country of economic saboteurs. 

  • NSCDC confirms death of four personnel in Boko Haram ambush 

    NSCDC confirms death of four personnel in Boko Haram ambush 

    The authorities of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has confirmed the death of four of its personnel during the ambush laid by Boko Haram insurgents in Shiroro local government of Niger state. 

    The NSCDC, however, said one of its personnel is still missing, while two others have returned to Command Headquarters unhurt after the incident. 

    The Commandant General (CG) of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ahmed Audi, however commiserated with the families of those who lost their lives and officers of Corps who were receiving treatment in hospital as a result of the attack.

    Dr Audi visited the injured officers at the medical facilities and praised the gallantry, bravery and courage exhibited by the operatives during the ambush.

    He pledged that the Corps would cater for all their medical expenses and other welfare needs.

    “The personnel demonstrated an unwavering determination and commitment to the service of their fatherland, hence, deserve all the support they can get from the organisation and the government they swore allegiance to”, he said.

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    He condoled the families of the fallen heroes among them and prayed that the Almighty God will forgive all their earthly sins, comfort their families, and grant them Aljanah Firdaus.

    “The visit was necessary to know how they are fairing and to encourage those directly affected and all personnel at large that the leadership of the Corps places a very high premium on their welfare and will never abandon them especially in situation like this”, he assured.

    The public relations officer of corps, Babawale Afolabi said in a statement recalled that seven personnel of the Corps’ Special Squad drawn from the National headquarters, FCT and Kaduna State Command respectively were declared missing in action when they were ambushed in boundaries between Niger and Kaduna state by the Boko Haram insurgents during an inspection tour of the National Grid Installation. 

    “As at today, out of the seven missing officers, four dead bodies had been recovered, two  men returned back to base unhurt while one  personnel is still missing in action,” Babawale said.  

  • Law agents and rank indiscipline

    Law agents and rank indiscipline

    What’s the update on the recent clash in Osun State between personnel of the Nigeria Police and those of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)? It’s about four weeks on that the state government and respective security service promised to investigate the shameful incident, but seem yet to follow through.

    Hostilities flared between officials of the two security services in Osogbo last month in a supremacy battle that the agencies blamed on each other, but which boils down to rank indiscipline. The corps accused the police of brutalising its personnel who were on lawful security duty at a housing estate in the state capital, and keeping one of the corpsmen in detention for some days. A statement by the spokesman of Osun NSCDC command, Adeleke Kehinde, said the problem began on Tuesday, 22nd October, at about 8p.m. when individuals in native ‘Ankara’ fabric but with jacket top, claiming to be policemen, drove in a private vehicle into an estate that is guarded by personnel of the Osun command of the NSCDC purportedly to arrest a suspect. The plainclothed individuals were reportedly confronted  by the corpsmen for proper identification, which they refused to provide and rather resorted to intimidation of the NSCDC personnel before leaving the estate.

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    But that did not end the matter, according to the NSCDC statement. Policemen numbering about 20 returned the following day to physically assault corpsmen at the estate and took one of them away in handcuffs – first to Ataoja police division before moving him to the Police State Headquarters. Efforts by the leadership of the Osun NSCDC command to bail out the arrested corpsman were allegedly rebuffed, and he was held in police detention for three days before being released. Osun NSCDC Commandant Michael Adaralewa demanded a probe, saying “there should be no sacred cow, and we are not going to allow the matter to be swept under the rug.”

    The police issued its own statement in which it accused NSCDC operatives of obstructing policemen who had gone to the Osogbo estate to arrest a criminal suspect. Spokesperson of the Osun Police Command, Yemisi Opalola, said policemen who came from the Oyo State Police Command on investigation and to arrest the suspect were rough-handled by corpsmen guarding the estate, making the policemen call for reinforcement from the  nearest division. “Upon arrival of the reinforcement, the policemen were rescued and one of the (NSCDC) personnel who assaulted the police officers and prevented them from performing their lawful duty was arrested and taken to State CID for investigation,” she further said, adding that investigation of the incident was ongoing.

    Following the clash, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke called a State Security Council meeting to interrogate the matter. Police Inspector-General Kayode Egbetokun as well condemned the incident and vowed a probe. The narratives suck, but Hardball won’t preempt the official probes. What’s the update? 

  • NSCDC boss deploys 6,000 personnel for Ondo Gov

    NSCDC boss deploys 6,000 personnel for Ondo Gov

    The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Dr Ahmed Audi has ordered the deployment of 6000 officers and men to ensure a hitch-free election during the November 16 gubernatorial election in Ondo state. 

    Audi assured that the NSCDC would work together with other security agencies to ensure free, fair and credible elections before, during and after the elections. 

    The NSCDC boss, who said his personnel were full prepared for the elections, noted that the Corps would deploy personnel from neighbouring states such as Ekiti, Ogun, Oyo Osun, Lagos, Edo, and Delta, to beef up security in Ondo state and its environs. 

    “In this election, the NSCDC have vital roles to play by ensuring the protection of all Critical National Assets and Infrastructure across the State; providing security for INEC officials and ad hoc staff, safeguarding the movements of election materials and its distribution both on land and in the coastal towns and overall monitoring of election process till the results are announced.

    “Our men would be on ground for security coverage both on land and the coastal towns across all the 18 Local Government Areas, the 203 Wards, and 3933 Polling Units in the entire State”, the statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Corps, Babawale Afolabi further said. 

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    The NSCDC Boss said: “The personnel drawn from the host State, neighbouring states and the National Headquarters comprises: Special Female Squad, Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Agro Rangers Unit, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives Unit (CBRNE), K-9 Unit, Marine Unit, CG’s Mining Marshall, Election Monitoring Unit (EMU) as well as the Intelligence and Investigation Department.

    “There are comprehensive and strategic measures already put in place which are targeted towards forestalling all forms of political violence and thuggery before, during and after the elections.

    “It is highly imperative that you work in collaboration with the Nigeria Police, which is the lead agency in election security. Notably, effective collaboration is unavoidable as this would enhance a successful election process; hence, all officers must be professional and disciplined as they interface with the public and other sister agencies”.

    While warning against all acts of vandalism, destruction of public utilities and election violence, Audi advised guardians and parents to caution their children and warn them against being used as instruments of violence by desperate politicians during the period.