NSCDC Commandant General, Muhammadu Abdullahi

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Lagos State on Tuesday said that a suspected NNPC pipeline vandal got killed while trying to disarm one of its operatives.

The spokesperson of the Corps in Lagos, Miss Kehinde Bada, an Assistant Superintendent of Corps, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) while reacting to the killing of a man by operatives of the corps.

According to Bada, the incident occurred at a security post manned by men of the corps mandated to guard and protect the pipelines in Abule-Egba area, Oke Odo, a suburb of Lagos.

She said that the officers had successfully foiled the activities of vandals in the area in recent times and brought to the barest minimal cases of vandalism.

“As a result of this, a group of youths, five in number, suspected to be vandals attacked the NSCDC post on Sunday at about 9 p.m. to steal firearms. This led to a scuffle between the officer on duty and the suspected vandals during which the victim pulled the trigger while trying to disarm the officer and unfortunately lost his life.”

“This is an attack on the NSCDC officer, however, investigation has commenced and necessary procedures will be followed. The corps values the life of citizens of the country and will in no way take life of another,” she said.

The corps image maker further said that the operative involved in the incident was taken into police custody for safety as he called for back up from the nearest police station.

Bada said the operative was taken into police custody after the youths in area went on rampage to avoid more loss of lives.

The police spokesman in Lagos, CSP Chike Oti, confirmed to NAN that the Corps operative was in their custody at the State CID, Panti after the killing on Sunday.

Oti said the Corps operative, some arms, ammunition and other items used for their operation were evacuated from the scene of incident to the Homicide Unit of the State CID for investigation.

“We are yet to get details of what happened. There was a distress call that someone was killed in Abule-Egba area. Our men went there to rescue the NSCDC operative on duty. The police rescued the operative, arms and ammunition and other materials they use for their operation to the Homicide Unit of the State CID, Panti. Investigation had commenced,” Oti said.

Sources had earlier told NAN that a 31-year old Abdulquadri Omotolani was allegedly shot twice in the head at the Pipeline-Ile Epo area of Lagos on Sunday by the corps operative.

NAN gathered that the victim was a driver with Lagos State public transport company BRT, who allegedly went to buy recharge card close to his house at Pipeline area of Ile-Epo when the incident happened.

It was gathered that some Civil Defence personnel, allegedly Smuggling petrol from pipeline, were attempting to escape through the street but some youths stopped them.

“One of the Civil Defense personnel got down from their vehicle and opened fire. The bullet hit the victim on the head,” a source said. (NAN)