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Ekiti NSCDC Officers In N5m Extortion Mess
Indications have emerged to the effect that, the Ekiti State CTU Unit of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), may end up smearing the good image the Interior Minister, Olubunmi Ojo has been able to build for his Ministry under which the security agency belong.
Recall that about three months after the Minister of Interior, sanctioned the head of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) CTU unit, Ekiti State Command, and his team for extorting a motorist at gunpoint, a similar incident has occurred.
On Monday evening, a team of officers under the command of Ekiti State Commandant, Mathew Toma, reportedly arrested one Sakiru Haminu Mide, a student of Federal Polytechnic, Ado, at gunpoint.
The officers, headed by Akinola Ayoola, Falodun Temitope, Adeosun Abiodun Emmannuel, solo and Stephen, alleged to be the Commandant cash-bag money officer., using a “Save School Bus,” allegedly searched and ransacked the student’s bedroom without cause following which he was forced to part with a whooping half a million naira.
In the victims’s account rendered to ThePageNews, he was flagged down on his way home from the grocery store at about 10.00 Pm on Ado- Ikere road and requested to search his phone which he declined.
He was eventually taken to the Civil defence office and detained till about 1.00am after which he was led to his house for a search.
According to him, his wardrobe was destroyed while he was thoroughly beaten with his younger brother whom was at home with him.
Insisting that nothing incriminating was found on him all through the search without a warrant, he was taken back to the station and the officers requested for the sum of N5m to secure his release.
Following his refusal to part with the said amount, he was detained again after which the officers eventually forced him to part with N500, 000 to secure his freedom.
“They demanded for five million naira before I could be released, and because I was eager to leave the cell so that they won’t distrupt my school activities, and one of the officers whispered into my ears that, I would be indicted and implicated through my statement should they decide to take me to Court. I therefore agreed to pay them for 500k.” They demanded for cash as they said, Commandant Toma doesn’t collect transfers, that he deals with cash from innocent victims . I told them I don’t have cash, they now brought a POS man, following which i transfered the sum of 500k, which they said would be collected by cash from the POS man for onward delivery to the Commandant .
(The evidence of the money transfered is hereby attached.)
There have been talks of recent, about the notoriety of the NSCDC officers, especially in Ekiti.
Close watchers of the agency’s activities in the state have registered the NSCDC, an institution originally tasked with defending the vulnerable, has allegedly become a tool for harassment and extortion under Commandant Toma’s leadership.
Report suggests that a “get-rich-quick” mentality drives these illegal activities.
