Supremacy Battle: Audi sues for peace as police, NSCDC personnel clash in Imo

…NSCDC personnel arrest, detain Senior police officer

…Police officers invade NSCDC officer, shot personnel, brutalise another

The Commandant General (CG) of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi has directed officers of the Corps in the Imo State Command to be calm and not take laws into their hands following the invasion of the Command along Okigwe road, Owerri by some officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

The Trumpet recalled that the raging battle of supremacy between the Police and Civil Defence was taken to a new dimension on Sunday when both security agencies clashed over the arrest and detention of a Superintendent of Police, Nonso Ezenwanne, over alleged possession of multiple identification cards.

The Commandant of the NSCDC in Imo State, Michael Ogar, had claimed while addressing journalists that he was flogged by policemen who also made away with phones, damaged his official vehicle and confiscated exhibits belonging to the command as well as shot a deputy commandant during an attack on the NSCDC headquarters in Owerri.

Ogar explained that the attack on the NSCDC office was after Ezenwanne obstructed his convey in Owerri on Sunday.

He said, “My personnel had an altercation with Ezenwanne following the disruption of my motorcade while I was returning from the scene of the inferno at an illegal oil bunkering site in the state on Sunday.

“As though that wasn’t enough, he trailed us to Owerri and blocked my motorcade again and brought out a pistol threatening to shoot us; he was later disarmed and arrested.

“I reached out to the former acting Commissioner of Police, DCP Giwa, to identify the suspect, which is the norm, but it yielded no result as he said he had been transferred to Kaduna. We didn’t see anybody to identify him.

“It was on my way to see the MOPOL 18 Commander, just about 10 meters away from the NSCDC office, that I saw eight vehicles that blocked me and started shooting into the air and my vehicle.

“They dragged me out, flogged and battered me, and later took me to their command where they continued to beat me with sticks and batons.”

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However, the Imo State Police Command in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Micheal Abattam, on Tuesday, accused the NSCDC of brutalising Ezenwanne.

The police alleged that apart from slapping the police officer, the NSCDC personnel detained the senior officer for 24 hours and denied him a request to call his commanding officer.

The spokesman said the phone of Ezenwanne was subsequently tracked to the NSCDC headquarters after a search party was raised as the officer’s colleagues thought he was kidnapped.

He denied that Ezenwanne blocked the NSCDC commandant’s motorcade, saying his car was hit by the corps when he tried to manoeuvre from a traffic jam in the metropolis.

“At that point, he alighted from his vehicle, introducing himself as a police superintendent serving at Police Mobile Base, Owerri.

“It was as if he angered him (NSCDC officer) the more and he gave him (Ezewanne) another slap and others joined in beating him. The police officer then brought out his phone to put a call to his commanding officer, but they seized the phone, rushed into their vehicle and zoomed off.

“The police officer had to manage and followed them to their office. On getting there, he demanded his phone, but they refused. Rather, they dragged him into their office, beat him up and seized his service pistol. After much torture, he was locked up in their cell, not minding his plea to call his commanding officer. The officer slept in the cell till the next day.

“On arrival, the team of policemen made inquiries to confirm if there was any police officer detained in their custody. The civil defence personnel became hostile, ordering them to leave or they would shoot them. When the police insisted, they started shooting into the air. The mobile police officers sensing danger professionally used minimal force to defend themselves by using tear gas.

“Hence, the civil defence personnel scampered for safety and in the process, the police superintendent was rescued gallantly from their custody, leaving nobody hurt or injured,” he added.

Reacting to the development, the NSCDC Director of Public Relations, DCC Olusola Odumosu, in a statement on Wednesday said the CG noted that security is a collective responsibility of all security agencies.

While describing the invasion of its Command headquarters in Imo state as avoidable and unnecessary, Audi urged personnel of the Service to maintain a high level of decorum and civility as well as avoid the temptation of taking laws into their hands.

Odumosu said, “The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, mni has sued for peace and directed personnel of the NSCDC Imo State Command to remain calm and not take laws into their own hands following the invasion of the Command along Okigwe road, Owerri by some heavily armed personnel of a sister security agency.

“Dr Audi maintained that security is a collective responsibility and every agency of government empowered by law to protect lives and property of Nigerians must work together and see themselves as partners in progress, noting that two wrongs cannot make a right and there are more progressive channels to resolve issues amicably without necessarily resorting to violent attacks on each other’s personnel or facilities.

“He described the invasion of its Command headquarters in Imo state as avoidable and unnecessary in the face of synergy and collaboration that is needed to combat the various security challenges in the country and urged all NSCDC personnel to maintain a high level of civility and decorum by avoiding any form of confrontation with other security and law enforcement personnel while going about their lawful duties.”

Addressing his personnel on the matter, Dr Audi maintained that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps is committed to peaceful coexistence among security agencies and remained undaunted despite all that transpired.

According to him, the CG added that “Our mandate of securing lives and protecting Critical National Assets and Infrastructure is very sacrosanct in ridding the nation of criminal elements and economic saboteurs, therefore, I urge you to remain focused, resolute and continue to maintain a harmonious relationship with your professional colleagues on the field at all time, even in the face of harassment and intimidation.

“We are committed to synergy and collaboration with other agencies despite what has happened, I, therefore, urge all my officers to remain calm and avoid any form of reprisal attack by allowing the leadership of both agencies to resolve the matter amicably. We are also seeking the support of members of the public in the fight against insecurity affecting our dear nation through timely release of intelligence information that could lead to arrest of all criminal elements disturbing the peace of the country.”