The Niger State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has warned Nigerians circulating a video of an armed Civil Defence operative to desist, stating that it poses a threat to national security.
A video recently surfaced on social media showing a Civil Defence personnel, Idris Saidu, carrying arms in both hands. He was alleged to be a supplier of arms to bandits and armed robbers.
In response on Tuesday, the spokesman for the Niger State Command of the Corps, Abubakar Muti, said in a statement that the video is ten years old and that the personnel in question had been exonerated by the Niger State High Court.
Muti described the incident leading to the circulation of the video as a malicious setup aimed at tarnishing the image of the Corps.
“The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Niger State Command, wishes to inform the general public that a false and misleading post circulating on social media, alleging the involvement of one of its personnel in supplying rifles to bandits, is entirely unfounded.
“The incident, nearly a decade old, was a malicious setup intended to tarnish the Corps’ image. We urge the public to disregard this information and refrain from sharing or circulating it further.
“Furthermore, the officer in question has been exonerated by a competent court with a subsisting court judgment and order clearing him of any wrongdoing. This unequivocal legal vindication confirms the baseless nature of these allegations,” Muti stated.
The spokesman reiterated his call for the public to disregard the false allegations and quoted the suit number of the court judgment as MN/MTB/CR/60/14.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Niger State NSCDC to maintaining law and order, protecting lives and property, and combating criminal activities.
“We caution those spreading false information to desist from such harmful activities or face legal consequences, as they undermine national security and damage the Corps’ reputation,” Muti stated.