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