Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Bayelsa on Tuesday absolved itself from allegations of killing three youths of Adiegbe community in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa.
A statement by Solomon Diri-Ogbere, Spokesman for NSCDC in Bayelsa dismissed the allegations that personnel of the corps were involved in the killing of three youths are false.
Diri-Ogbere explained that preliminary findings indicate that its patrol team on pipeline surveillance duties was ambushed by armed gunmen who opened fire on them.
According to him, the patrol team subsequently repelled the attack.
“The command wishes to state unequivocally that personnel of the NSCDC alongside the Tantita Security Services were on pipeline surveillance within the area when they were ambushed and attacked by some armed youths who tried to prevent them from carrying out their lawful duty of protection of pipeline and surveillance.
“The claim that the coordinator of Tantita Security Services allegedly ordered the personnel to shoot, is a fabricated falsehood.
“NSCDC officers in Bayelsa are professionally trained and briefed on the operational terms of the pipeline surveillance, which is one of the core mandates of the NSCDC.
“Our personnel are well trained and have undergone a series of training and are well abreast of their rules of engagement in weapon handling and would never use their weapon at any slight provocation, as the commandant General NSCDC has it as a policy that accidental discharge is not acceptable in the corps,” The statement read in part.
The NSCDC said that it would continue to carry out its core mandate of protecting critical national infrastructure and make sure those sabotaging the nation’s economy through illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalism are chased out of business within Bayelsa and others in the Niger Delta region.
The spokesman however assured that the NSCDC would remain focused on the fight against oil theft and pipeline vandalism as well as working with other sister security agencies in ensuring the safety of lives and property in Bayelsa.