Our side- NSCDC
The Authority of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps
(NSCDC), wishes to draw the attention of the General Public to the reportage on
internet platforms and some Media Outfits on the incident of shoot out that led
to some casualties in the gun battle in front of Forte Oil Filling Station in
Festac Town, Lagos. The ugly incident was not in any way carried out by any
Civil Defence Officer as alleged.
It must be recalled that the NNPC and the NSCDC are working
assiduously round the clock to reduce the queues at Filling Stations across the
country, hence the setting up of a Special Task Force nationwide by the NSCDC
Authority some days ago, to monitor loading of petroleum products at the
various Depots across the country, inspecting of waybills, ensuring effective
discharge of the product to designated filling stations without diversion and
efficient dispensing to motorists, which has not gone down well with the
Profiteers of the ugly situation that has made well-meaning Nigerians to suffer
untold hardship.
It is worthy of note that, the operators of Forte Oil Filling
Station on 21 Avenue Festac Town, Lagos, refused selling the product to bona-fide
buyers, but were only interested in selling fuel to Black Marketers which led
to the Okada Riders numbering about 50 who came to buy fuel, marching to the
NSCDC office to report the situation for the abnormality to be corrected.
The NSCDC Special Task
Force responded by coming into the filling station to correct the ugly trend in
ensuring normalcy returns. While this duty was being carried out by the Special
Task Force, the hoodlums who were outside the filling station and felt they had
been totally denied their wrong methods of getting fuel through the black
market syndrome, went on rampage, kidnapped some Okada Riders, and some of the
hoodlums started shooting which led to pandemonium. Meanwhile, by the side of
the filling station is ECO BANK, where the Police Officer attached to the Bank
who also saw what was happening, for his own safety and that of the Bank under his watch, started exchanging
gun fire with those hoodlums, and it was this shoot out that brought about the casualty.
According to the STF Commander that led the operation at the
filling station, CSC Emmanuel Ojile, he said that "as at the time of the shoot
out, the NSCDC Personnel were inside the filling station, busy protecting the
facility and never in any way participated in any shooting activity whatsoever
as alleged. That him and his personnel and other Security Agencies such as the
Army, Navy and Police at the scene of the incident were surprised at the shoot
out that orchestrated the malicious allegation as published by some media
Organisations".
He stated further, that some of the suspects involved in the
shoot out were arrested by the Corps Personnel outside the filling station
after the situation was brought under control. The suspects namely KAYODE
YUSUF, DOTUN ADEITE and KAMARU LAWAL are in the NSCDC custody and the confessional
statement from them unearthed the truth about what actually transpired outside,
while the NSCDC STF Personnel were busy inside the filling station making sure
that there is decorum, and at the same time protecting the facility of the
Forte Oil to avoid inferno or any arson occurrence.
At this juncture, the Authority of the NIGERIA SECURITY AND
CIVIL DEFENCE CORPS, reiterates, that the Corps will never be deterred by cheap
blackmail , sabotage, negative reportage of any sort, but will continue to
collaborate with the NNPC till this ugly fuel shortage is completely wiped off.
Simultaneously, the NSCDC will continue to stand tall to discharge the Corps
constitutional mandate as entrusted to the NSCDC by the Federal Republic of
Nigeria.
ACC EMMANUEL OKEH
CDPRO
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