NSCDC Losses Personnel to Road Crash on Election Duty

Michael Olugbode in Abuja
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has lost one personnel with five others got injured in an accident while on election duty.
In a statement by its spokesman, Olusola Odumosu yesterday, the Corps lamented that Corps Assistant II Abdusalam Roqeeb from Lagos State Command died in a road accident that occurred on Friday 24, February 2023 at a sharp bend at Giri junction, Abuja, while five other personnel are presently receiving treatment in a hospital.

According to him, the accident involved an NSCDC-branded vehicle which was conveying authorised identification tags meant for personnel on election duty in Lagos.
He said following the unfortunate incident, the Commandant General of the Corps, Dr Ahmed Audi commiserated with families of the deceased, Lagos State Command and the entire Corps.

He assured that, in line with his commitment to staff welfare, the Corps’ management will take very good care of the injured and bear full responsibility for their treatment to ensure their full recovery and safe return to their families.
He however said it is expedient to correct the erroneous impression created by some online reporters, blogs and media outlets that the personnel involved in the accident was conveying election materials.

He said the Corps is a non-partisan and apolitical organisation, hence, has no business conveying election materials as speculated in some quarters.
He noted that the items that were scattered on the road at the scene of the accident in the video shared online were election identification tags meant for Lagos Command personnel on election duty before the unfortunate incident and not ballot papers or PVCs.
The commandant-general prayed for the repose of the soul of the gallant officer who died and soonest recovery of others in the hospital. The deceased officer, according to him, has been buried in line with Islamic rites.

However, NSCDC’s Commandant General, Dr Ahmed Audi yesterday revealed that the corps had created crack squad in response to distress situations, the, mni, has revealed.

Briefing members of the squad on election day before their deployment, Audi explained that part of their responsibilities is to quell conflicts and any situation capable of disrupting the 2023 general election exercise.

Audi, while calling on them to avoid intimidation and harassment of the public, explained that they should not allow anyone to take laws into their hand, mandating them to deal ruthlessly with anyone who attempts to disrupt the peaceful conduct of the exercise.

The commandant general called on them to exhibit high degree of professionalism and warned against intimidation and harassment of voters.

He reiterated that in the Code of Code and Standard Operating procedures of the Corps, there is nothing like accidental discharge, stressing rules of engagement must be strictly obeyed.

He said: “Anyone who makes mistake by not doing the right thing will be on his own. Improper use of weapon by any of you will be tried and court marshalled.”