NSCDC absolves officials from graduate hawker’s death

The Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Service and Civil Defence Corps has denied that its officials engineered the untimely death of a graduate, Felix Babalola, who sold recharge cards under the Meckwen Bridge, Victoria Island.

PUNCH Metro had reported on Thursday that Babalola died while running from the officials of the NSCDC, who had stormed the area to arrest hoodlums. Babalola was said have slipped and fallen into the Lagoon.

Eyewitnesses, who spoke with our correspondent, said the NSCDC officials, however, prevented the people from helping the victim out of the water. It was said that one of them pointed a gun at the victim as he made desperate effort to get out of the water, threatening to kill him if he did so.

But in a statement by the corps’ spokesperson,

Mr. Mefor Chibuzor, the state commandant, Mr. Donatus Ikemefuna, said the officials of the NSCDC had raided the area to arrest vandals following a tip-off, adding that the officials were not in the area to raid hoodlums.

The statement read in part, “The rumour going on in some quarters that officials of the corps pushed someone into the ocean is not true and should be disregarded.

“In a bid towards ensuring that oil theft is reduced to the bearest minimum in Nigeria, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Lagos State Command, embarked on operation Clean Nigeria from Vandals.

“The operation that led to this report was not a raid; it was for the arrest of particular persons who sold vandalised petroleum products around that area. Intelligence report gathered by our officers on plain cloth informed that pipeline vandals use the areas from Leventis Bus-stop to Mecqueen Bridge, Onikan, Lagos Island to channel petroleum products they stole from vandalised pipelines along the Atlas Cove.

“We also learnt that two particular persons have been identified as the sellers of the products. This led our anti-vandal team to carry out the operation on Monday, August 18, 2014 around the area to arrest the cartel.”

The commandant said his men recovered several containers of the adulterated products from the syndicate who fled the scene on sighting the team.

He said Babalola, who he alleged to be one of the vandals, jumped into the water to avoid being arrested.

The commandant said, “On that fateful day, the officers of corps arrived at the venue where the illegal business was going on. On sighting our officers the suspect jumped into the water in an attempt to evade being arrested. The officers wondered why someone in his right senses decided to jump into the ocean in an attempt to evade arrest. We were not bothered as information we got said the person is a boat man (coxswain).

“Recovered from the scene of the crime were 36 kegs of 50 liters; 12 kegs of 25 liters; and 15 drums of 250 liters, filled with petroleum products.

“The marine policemen based in that area equally bear witness to that incident. These products, if not intercepted by NSCDC, would have found their way to the neighboring countries of West African Coast like Benin, Togo and Ghana.

“The following day, the intelligence unit of the corps called the telephone number of the suspected vandal that jumped into the water and it was ringing, but no response.”

PUNCH