Osun students protest shooting by NSCDC operatives on Aregbesola’s convoy

The fallout from the alleged attack on the convoy of the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, continues as some students besieged the headquarters of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Osogbo, Osun State on Tuesday to register their displeasure.

The protest was led by the students under the aegis of the National Association of Osun State Students (NAOSS) spearheaded by the group’s President, Moshood Yusuf.

Some of the banner brandished by the protesters had inscriptions such as, “NSCDC are we safe”; “NSCDC threatens our people in Osun”; and ”Stop brutality against Osun residents,” among others.

In order to prevent a degeneration of an already-tense situation, the group was prevented from accessing the facility at the Oke Ayepe area of Osogbo.

Yusuf railed against the lack of “decency, discipline, and patriotism” amongst security personnel while accusing the NSCDC of sabotage regarding the security of the Minister.

“It is regrettable that the officers and the men of the corps that is known for decency, discipline, and patriotism have been turned to political tormentors in the state, and we have no choice than to cry to your good office before the people of the state begin to lose their lives in the hands of NSCDC Tactical Force in Osun.

“It is understandable that the NSCDC is under the supervision and control of Federal Ministry of Interior, being superintended by the former governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, but we strongly believe that NSCDC, as a security outfit, must be completely excused as a willing tool to destabilise the state,” Yusuf noted.

The NAOSS President, consequently, implored the authorities to commence investigations in order to unravel the events which culminated in the shooting incident in order to prevent political tension ahead of the primary elections of the All Progressives Congress.

“For your information, we have not had it so terribly in recent times with this level of abuse and the involvement of (NSCDC) officers extremely complicating the political tension in the state.

“We have decided to escalate this matter to your office because we have it on good authority that most of the personnel are also drawn from neighbouring states, and if security apparatus with the constitutional responsibility of protecting the people are now at the peak of political violence against the citizens, it calls for serious concern as a state.

“We, however, demand the investigation of the NSCDC officers involved in yesterday’s (Monday’s) sporadic shooting in Osogbo and punish them in accordance with relevant laws of the NSCDC for public disturbance and threat to public peace,” he noted.

Read also: UNIOSUN students in violent protests over disappearance of their colleagues

Earlier, the All Progressives Congress (APC) faction in the state urged the presidency to call Aregbesola to order over the shooting in the state.

A statement issued by its chairman in the state, Gboyega Famodun said the NSCDC had turned itself into a tool for Aregbesola in his bid to disrupt peace in the state.

The statement read: “The Osun All Progressives Congress, wishes to bring to the attention of the presidency, the Inspector-General of Police and all security agencies, that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has lent itself as an infrastructure of disruption of the peace that Osun has enjoyed hitherto.”

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