The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has withdrawn the personnel attached to the lawmaker representing lseyin/ltesiwaju/ Kajola/lwajowa Federal Constituency in Oyo State at the House of Representatives, Shina Peller.
The withdrawal of the personnel followed the introduction of a bill by Peller proposing to scrap the corps and merge it with the Nigeria Police Force.
The lawmaker proposed the bill to the House via the National Security And Civil Defence Corps (Repeal and Transition) Bill 2022, which passed the first reading on Tuesday.
In a letter to the lawmaker dated February 2, 2022, by the Head of Administration, Oyo State Command, Sotito Igbalawole, the Corps claimed that the withdrawal of the men was necessitated by “the urgent national need.”
Following the directive of the Commandant General on the necessity of the deployment of the command personnel for an urgent national security assignment; on behalf of the state commandant, I hereby withdraw all personnel attached to you.
“This is to meet up with the urgent national need. All inconvenience this might cause is highly regretted,” the agency said.
The NSCDC, which is a voluntary organisation, was converted to a national security outfit by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.
NSCDC however in a fresh statement has ordered the reinstatement of the security aides withdrawn from the protection details of Shina peller
The order came from the Commandant General, of the NSCDC, Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, on Wednesday.
The statement titled, ‘CG frowns at withdrawal of officials assigned to Member of the House of Representatives, orders reinstatement,’ described the letter earlier sent to the lawmaker as unauthorised.
The statement signed by the spokesperson of the security agency, Odumosu Olusola, reads, “The leadership of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has dismissed as unauthorized and without recourse to the Corps constituted authority, a letter signed and sent to a Member of the House of Representatives, Hon Shina Peller, informing him of the withdrawal of officials of the NSCDC assigned to him.
“Not only did the officer in question lack the power to do such, he was also found to have acted on his whims without clearance.
“The Commandant General, Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, mni, has therefore directed a reinstatement of the withdrawn officers with a compliment of necessary courtesies to the Honourable Member.”