OYO: Five arrested while attempting to set NSCDC officers ablaze

THE Oyo State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested persons over an alleged attempt to kill its officials while on legitimate duty.

The arrest was announced during a press briefing, on Thursday, the state Commandant, Michael Akintayo Adaralewa, who said that the suspects committed the offence, on Tuesday, at the Agugu area of Ibadan.

Adaralewa gave the suspects’ names as Abiodun Abraham, Abiodun Akinola, Gbenga Abraham, Ramoni Oyewole and Babatunde Temitope.

He disclosed that the civil defence officials had gone to the scene to arrest Abiodun Abraham in relation to a case of stealing when he started shouting and calling on people around the area to rescue him from kidnappers.

The NSCDC Commandant narrated that the false alarm prompted hoodlums to descend on the officers, hitting them with different weapons and tearing their clothes.

He further added that they also hanged tyres on the necks of the officers and were about setting them ablaze when a team of Operation Burst operatives passing by noticed the commotion and drew near, before noticing that those being attacked were civil defence officers.

Adaralewa said that the officers were quickly rescued while the Operation Burst operatives called for reinforcement.

He stated that those arrested were suspected of being part of the attackers, as they followed the vehicle being used to convey the principal suspect from the scene.

The Commandant condemned the jungle justice being perpetrated by some residents without seeking verification of culpability or none by the targeted victims, and warned that the wrath of the law would be brought on the violators of the law.

In an interview, one of the arrested suspects, Akinola, said that he was not one of those who attacked the civil defence officers but only followed the vehicle that took him away from the scene because the principal suspect was his boss during his vocation as a caterpillar engineer.

He also confirmed the attack on the officers but said that he was able to save one of them from the hoodlums.