NSCDC arrests officers for selling service rifles

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has found out that some of its personnel are involved in illegally selling service rifles.

The NSCDC spokesperson, Babawale Afolabi, shared this information while talking to reporters on Friday in Abuja.

Afolabi said that the investigation led to the arrest of an NSCDC officer at the headquarters who was part of the crime.

According to him, the investigation and arrest were done by the Commandant-General’s Special Intelligence Squad, led by Commander Dandaura Appollos.

Afolabi explained that the unnamed officer took an AK-47 rifle from his post after his shift instead of returning it to the armoury.

He said that the investigation showed the officer hid the rifle in two plastic bags, left his duty post without permission, and took the weapon to Otukpo in Benue.

“The investigation revealed that the officer later gave the rifle to someone in Otukpo for N700,000 Naira,” he said.

He added that the buyer then sold the AK-47 to an illegal arms buyer known as IBB for N800,000 Naira.

The Public Relations Officer mentioned that the main suspect tried to hide the crime when asked about the missing weapon and also allegedly attempted to sign out another rifle.

“Through tracking, surveillance, and interrogation, the intelligence team caught the main suspects and recovered the AK-47 rifle,” he said.

More Illegal Activities Found

Afolabi also mentioned that in another operation, the CG’s SIS found a plan to divert two G3 rifles from an NSCDC armoury between 2018 and 2024.

He said that this investigation involved a personnel who was in charge of the armoury in NSCDC Adamawa command.

He explained that the senior officer allegedly took the rifles from the store without permission and sold them to junior personnel for N210,000 and N220,000 in separate deals.

“The investigation further showed that the personnel sold the rifles to a civilian.

To hide the missing firearms during regular checks, the senior officer reportedly falsified weekly armoury records.

“After counting the available weapons by his assistant, he changed the register by adding the serial numbers of the missing rifles into the stock records.

This manipulation made it seem like the firearms were still in the armoury,” he said.

He added that the CG’s SIS investigation revealed the pattern, which led to important confessions and evidence from key players.

Afolabi said that the intelligence work by the CG’s SIS showed the corps’ efforts to improve armoury accountability and stop service weapons from getting into the hands of criminals.

“Internal disciplinary actions against the officers involved have been completed.

The NSCDC Commandant General, Ahmed Audi, has asked the Directorate of Legal Services to start legal action against all suspects in court,” he said.