The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) has continued to sustain its mandate of protecting Nigerians and critical infrastructures. ISMAILA OGUNTADE writes on some remarkable achievements recently.
That the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) continues to excel in taming security and other related challenges in country remains delightful to many Nigerians.
Under the leadership of Ahmed Abubakar Audi, its Commandant General, the corp has continued to rejig its architecture in line with global standards. Little wonder it has credible records about arrests of suspected criminals, including vandals, seizures, among other issues.
According to CG Audi, the corp has kept an abiding faith in the mandate on securing critical infrastructures in line with the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The corp, he said, went ahead to profile the names of alleged suspected thieves it had arrested in recent times.
Some exploits
For him, the recent arrest of suspected criminals was made possible by its crack team of officers. The five suspected members of the syndicate were involved in sabotaging government policies and efforts.
He said they were involved in sabotaging the provision of fertiliser to farmers around Dogon Dutse, Jos North local government and Kasuwan Kara, Bukuru in Jos South LGA of Plateau State on September 2, 2023.
According to him, the corp is determined in its efforts through the Agro Rangers Unit to create a conducive environment for Agro-allied activities. Therefore, sequel to intelligent information, some group of sabatours, he revealed, conspired and diverted large quantities of imported raw material used for NPK blending, which is referred to as Granular Ammonium Sulpate [GAS] imported in 2023.
The Granular Ammonium Sulphate Fertiliser, which is clearly branded ‘Not for Sale’, was a property of Fertilisers Producers & Suppliers Association Of Nigeria (FEPSAN), through the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) and funded by National Social Investment Authority (NSIA), an initiative that was conceived under the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI).
According to the corp boss, “PFI was created to help strengthen the fertiliser industry in 2016. This imported fertiliser raw material was discovered to be stored in a big store around No 3, Dogon Dutse, Jos North LGA and another, around Kasuwan Kara area, Bukuru, Jos South LGA, of Plateau state.”
He said the sneeze on snoozer of the suspects continued on September 2, 2023 between 1720hrs and 1730hrs when the CG’s SIS Squad stormed the suspected locations and succeeded in arresting five suspects and sealed up a large warehouse, containing bags of diverted raw materials for production of NPK, called Granular Amonium Sulpate [GAS].
He said the product was meant to be allocated to the PFI blending plant to be used in the production of fertiliser and sold at an affordable rate to farmers, with a view to sustaining the National Food Security programme of the federal government and encourage food production in the country.
“It is interesting to note that these raw material products had been diverted and are sold at the open market by some sabatours at the rate of 25,900 per bag to farmers or anybody who patronise them,” he said.
The NSCDC said the development threw up a challenge of threat to food, environmental security and sabotage to government policy.
It said, “During the raid at No 3 Dogon Dutse, Jos North LGA at about 1720hrs on 2nd September 2023, a number of suspects were arrested.
Also, during the second raid at Kasuwan Kara, Bukuru, Jos South LGA, at about 1730hrs of September 2, 2023, other suspects were arrested.
He said certain exhibits were also seen and impounded in the warehouse at No. 3 Dogon Dutse, Jos North LGA. Some of then, he said, included 740 nos of prohibited Granular Amonium Sulpate [GAS]; 24 nos of Nagari Fertiliser; 13 nos of Urea Dangote fertiliser; 65 nos of Urea Indorama fertiliser; 16 nos of NPK Barbados fertiliser; 130 nos of Tak Agro (Presidential fertiliser Initiative); 600 nos of iron for mining; one Guarantee Superior fertiliser NPK; 29 cartons of dragon chemical; 50 cartons of Glyval chemical; seven cartons of Ultrachlor chemical;109 nos of 20 litres of knapsack spraying pump.
According to the NSCDC, “All the suspects have been moved to the NSCDC headquarters in Abuja for further investigation, while the exhibits were documented on bond and released to the warehouse owner Umar Said Mohamed on bond for safekeeping whike he in turn handed them over to his private security for proper accountability until investigation is concluded.In spite the challenges of inadequate personnel the corp faces, among others, it has continued to add greater value to Nigeria’s security structure.”
