Politics

How Police, NSCDC supremacy clash almost marred Ondo APC guber primary

Published

8 years ago

September 4, 2016

A supremacy battle between men of the Nigerian Police Force and those of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) almost brought the governorship primary of the Ondo state chapter of the APC to a grinding halt on Saturday.

They engaged themselves in a shootout, releasing teargas canisters, and sending delegates, stakeholders and observers of the event which took place at the International Centre, Akure scampering for safety.

Other security agents guarding the ballot boxes had to quickly converge around the boxes, in the fear that there was a plot to scuttle the exercise.

When the dust settled, it was gathered that men of the two government agencies were showing off their strengths to intimidate the other, and prove who should be more respected.

Trouble was said to have started, when the State Commandant of the NSCDC, Adeyinka Fasiu, drove to the venue, but was prevented from going in with his official vehicle by mobile policemen, who insisted that he step down and walk in.

This must have infuriated Fasiu’s entourage, and other NSCDC officials at the venue, who challenged the mobile policemen for what they felt was an audacity, sparking off heated arguments, with both sides resorting to use of weapons at their disposal.

Luckily, no injuries were reported, but the clash set off panic, as the police and NSCDC men reportedly fired shots and teargas to disperse a crowd of onlookers who had gathered to see the show of shame.

Witnesses at the event told Ripples Nigeria that the police action may have been a retaliation for an alleged insubordination of some NSCDC officials to the Deputy Inspector General Of Police, Joshak Habila, and the Assistant Inspector General of Police Zone 11, Dan Bature, who earlier visited the venue of the primary election

Witnesses say the policemen were pissed when some NSCDC men refused to give the AIG the necessary compliment, prompting some mobile police officers to walk two of the civil defence officers out.

So as the police sort to take their pound of flesh from the NSCDC boss, his men resisted it, leading to a confrontation.

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