The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Akwa Ibom State Command has refuted the report of a state based Newspaper alleging that its Officer, DSC Mike Asibor shot and injured two civilians, Aniefiok John Peter and Marshal John Peter while trying to effect alert.
The newspaper reported that the Command was trying to shield the accused officer whom it claimed was on the run having turned down invitations from the police command for interviews and possible detention.
Addressing a press conference at the Command headquarters in Uyo on Thursday, NSCDC State Public Relations Officer (PRO), DSC Ekerete Friday flanked by DSC Mike Asibor and other Senior officer of the command described such report as fallacious and maliciously intended to bring the command to a bad light .
The PRO said, rather, the two persons claimed to have been shot by Asibor are wanted by the Corps for their involvement in bunkering activity as well as willful and unlawful destruction, and vandalization of their operational vehicle.
He said the claims by the Newspaper report that the State Commandant of NSCDC, Comdt Eluwade Eluyemi was not aware of the incident was totally false as he was not only aware of the operations, but authorized it and was duly briefed from time to time.
He maintained that Aniefiok John Peter and Marshall John Peter were neither shot by men of NSCDC nor by DSC Mike Asibor, whom according to him was not part of the operation on the said date.
Friday insisted that the officers are trained to manage situation and not to open fire carelessly.
“My men are professionally trained. We don’t expell our armor anyhow because when you go for operation you sign from the armoury and when you come back you sign off and the armourer will count the ammunition you were given and if it’s not complete, no armourer will accept it back from you. So the thing sounds so ridiculous, because our armour is still intact.
Speaking on what transpired when the oil theft suspects were intercepted, the PRO said the command mobilized its officers to Ikot Ubo, in Nsit Ubium LGA following an intelligence that bunkering products were being conveyed in cellophane bags in a solara vehicle.
He said that in course of the operation, the driver of the vehicle that conveyed the bunkering products Marshall John Peter on sighting the NSCDC patrol team in a branded sienna bus attempted to escape.
The PRO added that unknown to the NSCDC personnel, the driver, Marshall John Peter had put a call to his brother Aniefiok John Peter, who mobilized heavily armed youths to attack the operatives and obstructed them from performing their lawful duties.
He said that the attack on the NSCDC personnel by the armed youths grew out of control and the NSCDC personnel had to make tactical withdrawal for safety adding that the armed youths blocked all exit routes of the village and held the NSCDC personnel hostage, until reinforcement team which comprised military, police and NSCDC personnel came to their(NSCDC officials) rescue.
Fridasaid that the armed youths destroyed the NSCDC operational vehicle beyond repairs, noting that the vehicle was towed to Uyo in a later day.
He said the Chairman of Village Council, Chief Edemekong Edemekong and the youth leader, Mr Inyang Eno had approached the command and negotiated to settle out of court and to repair the damaged vehicle and wondered where the report of shooting the suspects who are still at large emanated from.
While frowning at subjective and one sided media reports by some persons, Ekerete urged Akwa Ibom people to ignore the malicious reports against the command which according to him aimed at smearing the cordial relationship among the sister security agencies in the state.
