Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, (NSCDC), has confirmed the invasion and attack of its Imo Command by men of the Nigeria Police, leading to the killing of personnel and manhandling of the State Commandant.
Public Relations Officer of the Corps, Olusola Odumosu, who confirmed the attack yesterday, in Abuja, described it as unfortunate and disturbing, repeated attacks on personnel of the corps by police officers over the years.
Odumosu, said the Corps has received news of the invasion of its Imo state headquarters in Owerri and the management is currently in talks with the police hierarchy to ensure justice and bring an end to continual aggression by police officers towards men of the NSCDC
The attack was reported to have been triggered after an earlier mild argument between the convoy of the commandant, which was returning from Abacheke, a bunkering site, where scores were said to have been burnt to death in Egbema and a plain-clothed policeman, who blocked the road where the commandant was to pass through.
A heated argument ensued when the plain-clothed officer who refused to identify himself or rank failed to let the returning entourage have an easy passage.
When the NSCDC team went ahead and passed through the barricade, the angry policeman followed the convoy to the NSCDC headquarters, allegedly pulled out his pistol, threatening to shoot the commandant’s driver, but his pistol was wrestled out of his hand to prevent any shooting.
One officer Ikechukwu, (last name withheld), was reported to have claimed that the plain-clothed policeman went back, mobilised other policemen, who stormed the NSCDC state headquarters, held its personnel hostage, manhandled the commandant, beat up other officers, wreaked havoc and killed the driver of the commandant, who drove through the roadblock.
MEANWHILE, Imo State Police Command has cleared the air over the clash that ensued between its officers and personnel of the Civil Defence Corps in Owerri.
The Command’s spokesperson, Micheal Abattam, in a statement yesterday, said the incident resulted from the unlawful and suspicious detention of one Ezenwanne Nonso, a Police Superintendent.
Abattam described the incident as unfortunate, stressing that the State’s Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Ahmed Barde has ordered a full investigation into the matter.
“ The Command views this with all seriousness and sees it as a calculated attempt to dent the robust synergy the Command is enjoying with other security agencies in the state since the assumption of office by the Commissioner of Police.”
“ CP Mohammed Ahmed Barde, while commending Imolites for their unalloyed support, pleaded for calm and appealed to Imolites go about their lawful businesses without fear of harassment.
“He has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of State Criminal Investigation Department (SCIID) to commence detailed investigation into the remote cause of the incident, promising that, at the conclusion of the investigation the outcome will be made public,” it added.