Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have dispersed a group of residents allegedly being bribed at Mobil filling station, opposite St. Michael’s School in Ajilosun area of Ado-Ekiti.

A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who monitored voting across the state, observed a large crowd being dispersed by a team of NSCDC operatives, led by acting Deputy Commandant, Haruna Muhammed.

Mr Musa Faruk, a resident of the area, said that some suspected political agents had been distributing between N10,000 and N12,000 to the voters who agreed to vote for their preferred governorship candidate.

He explained that at polling units one and two of ward four at St. Michael Nursery and Primary School, the agents would have observed who voters had voted for before giving them the money.

Another voter, Veronica Famigun, who was in the midst of the crowd, said that vote buying had been ongoing for hours, expressing happiness over the way in which those engaging in the act were dispersed by NSCDC operatives.

She stressed the need for security agents to also beam their searchlight on other polling units across the state where such acts might also be perpetrated.
Speaking on the development, Muhammed frowned at the menace of vote buying by political agents, saying that his men had no choice than to disperse those engaging in the practice.
He said that it was important for citizens to understand that elections should be free and fair.

The NSCDC chief advised parents to restrain their wards and keep them indoor as anybody caught in the act of vote buying would be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law.

NAN, however, reports that nobody was arrested at the scene, as the suspected perpetrators immediately took to their heels.

NAN also reports that more security personnel had been drafted to the location to prevent re-occurrence.

The Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kano State Command, Mr Adamu Idris-Zakari, has called for a legislation that will promote volunteerism in the country.

Idris-Zakari made the call on Tuesday in Kano at an event organised by the command to commemorate the 2022 World Civil Defence Day.

He said strengthening national legislation for the development and sustainability of volunteerism was necessary, especially in areas that were prone to conflicts and risks.

“Volunteers constitute the broadest layer of civil defence actors, they are closest to the realities of their communities,” he added.

The commandant said civil defence involved managing pandemics, safeguarding national assets and people in crisis.

Idris-Zakari stressed that the services of volunteers in such situations would help in the prevention of the displacement of people and providing care to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

“In the event of an emergency, people always intervene first, and if they are trained and recognised as volunteers, the community will be more resilient,” he pointed out.

The theme for 2022 is `Civil Defence and Management of Displaced Populations in Face of Disaster and Crises: Role of Volunteers and the Fight Against Pandemics’.

The Edo State Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested four suspected illegal gold miners in Edo.

The Commandant of the corps in Edo, Mr Aniekan Udoeyop, made the disclosure while briefing newsmen in his office in Benin on Saturday.

Udoeyop disclosed that the suspects, who hailed from Kogi, Kebbi, Taraba and the Federal Capital Territory were arrested on Dec. 7.

He said that the suspects were caught by NSCDC operatives in conjunction with local vigilance groups at Damgbala community in the Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of the state.

The commandant said that the suspects had contravened the Edo Government law banning mining.

According to him, the suspects will face the full wrath of the law, to serve as deterrent to others, who may want to engage in similar ventures.

He explained that the Edo Government banned mining in Damgbala community, following what he described as influx of foreigners into the community and incidences bordering on insecurity in the community.

He stressed that the NSCDC would continue to protect critical national infrastructure and would never compromise on its mandate.

The suspects, who confessed to their crimes, told the phenomenal that they were sorry for their actions.

They disclosed that they always had ready buyers whom they sell their products to at Ojirame town, a neighbouring community, noting that they went into the business to make their livelihoods.

Some implements, including mined substances suspected to be raw gold, shovels, head pans, diggers and clothes, among others were recovered from the suspects.

Different accounts surround the killing of three security personnel in a gun duel in Zamfara on Wednesday, police said in Gusau on Saturday.

Police command’s spokesman in Zamfara, SP Muhammad Shehu, said in a statement that the gun battle held between the bandits and operatives of a joint Police/Civil Defence patrol team on Kaura Namoda/Shinkafi Road.

Shehu said the police lost one officer while the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) lost two personnel to the battle.

“The attention of the Police Command in Zamfara has been drawn to misleading reports published by an online medium.

“The report stated that no fewer than 20 operatives of Nigerian security agencies were butchered in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara.

“It said the bodies were set ablaze by bandits operating in the state.

“The Command wishes to state that the report was inaccurate and was an attempt to create fear and panic in the minds of citizens.

“What happened was that on Oct. 28, joint Police/Civil Defence operatives deployed along Kaura Namoda–Shinkafi Road to stem the tide of banditry, kidnapping and other crimes were ambushed by suspected bandits who came in a large number.

“The operatives who were always at alert engaged the hoodlums in a gun duel that lasted for hours.

“Some of the assailants were neutralised while others escaped with possible gunshot wounds.

“Unfortunately, a police operative and two Civil Defence personnel paid the supreme price and their corpses were evacuated and buried accordingly.

“In view of the above, the Command urges members of the public to ignore the outrageous number reported by the online medium and continue to be security conscious while going about their legitimate businesses,” Shehu stated.

The NSCDC said in a separate statement, however, that: “joint security operatives at Hawan Bakwai Walele had an intensive attack by bandits at noon on Oct. 28.

“The bandits, numbering about 150, had heavy weaponry and engaged operatives in exchange of fire.’’

NSCDC spokesman, Mr Ikhor Oche, noted in the statement that the team of the joint security forces was overpowered even after it got reinforcement.

“All the same, one of the NSCDC personnel, a driver, was killed while other officers had to run for cover.

“The bandits set the vehicle ablaze along with corpse of the personnel, and while returning to Shinkafi one personnel also got missing.

“During NSCDC’s search, the missing person was found dead and right now his corpse is on its way to Maru, his hometown.

“This brings to two, the number of NSCDC personnel that died in the attack.

“I cannot ascertain the extent of what happened to men of the other security agency, but it equally recorded losses,” Oche stated

It has emerged that a COVID-19 positive patient attempted to escape from the isolation center in Kaduna without authorisation.
Narrating the development was Corps Assistant Joshua Philip, who was posted to the Infectious Disease Control Centre, Down Quarters, Kaduna South, to provide security services in and around the isolation centre.
The suspected COVlD-l9 patient tried to leave the Centre for morning prayers without the permission of doctors.
“A confrontation ensued between our personnel and the patient who forcefully picked the keys of the gate of the Center and tried to open the gate to escape,” the NSCDC said in a statement.
The patient was arrested by Philip who was among the officers on duty at the isolation centre after he engaged him in a serious fight.
The keys to the centre were said to have been disinfected.
Doctors also gave the NSCDC personnel some drugs, with instruction he should self-isolate for two weeks and to call the Centre if he develops any symptoms.
The Corps has since strengthened its security measures in the internal isolation centre, it said.

The Edo State Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has confirmed the release of two of its senior operatives abducted on Sept. 27.

The Commandant, Mr Makinde Ayinla, confirmed the release in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Tuesday.

Ayinla said the operatives were released early on Tuesday by their abductors at Ebelle community in the Igueben Local Government Area of Edo.

He said, however, that no ransom was paid to secure the release of the operatives.

The commandant thanked the Nigeria Police, the vigilante in Ebelle town and the families of the abducted workers.

Ayinla also commended other security agencies for their support and collaboration in ensuring the release of the two men.

The two officials were abducted at about 2:30 p.m. at the railway bridge between Ebelle and Ewosa communities on the Ebelle-Agbor highway on their way to Benin.