FUEL SCARCITY: NSCDC detain fake NSCDC officers over extort action from fuel merchant

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Kwara State Command has detained five suspected fake NSCDC officers who are accused of extort actions from fuel merchants amidst petrol scarcity in the nation.

The suspects were traveling around fuel stations in the City of ilorin, Kwara state with pretence to be Civil Defence officers on national assignment from Abuja, according to Babawale Afolabi, the state public relations officer for the NSCDC.

According to the public relation officer Afolabi,” investigations have begun to determine whether the accused are running a syndicate with other members in the state’s 16 local government areas.

“Our anti-vandal unit, directed by ACC Yusuf, received intelligence on March 8, 2022 at 1422 hours that some groups of individuals dressed in Civil Defence uniforms had been travelling around filling stations in Ilorin metropolis claiming to be members of a national task force on assignment from Abuja. They will take money from the managers of the gas stations after meeting them, as the petrol merchants believe they are NSCDC officers “he buttress

The paroled suspects, recognized as Saheed Adedayo, 37, Muritala Oloruntoyin, 40, Emmanuel Ferife, 45, Abiodun Oluseun, 44, and Isaac Aluko, 43, all professed to be members of the Nigerian Importers Association and have involved in extortion of money from petrol merchants, according to the spokesperson.

However, luck ran out as they approached a filling station in Ilorin’s Amilegbe neighborhood when the petrol station’s board place a call on the anti-vandal unit’s office. The five suspects were seized after the unit patrol team leaped into action.

He also said “During interrogation, the suspects admitted to being involved in illicit activities while claiming to be members of the Nigerian Importers Association and going around filling stations collecting intelligence reports.”

Meanwhile, Makinde Ayinla, the state commander of the NSCDC, has apprised petrol outlets and members of the public to be aware of amoral people who may want to exploit the current fuel scarcity saga to carry out illicit act.