Internal Probe: NSCDC Personnel Held Over Illegal Rifle Sales

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has revealed an alleged scheme involving the diversion and illicit sale of official service weapons by some of its personnel. Babawale Afolabi, the NSCDC Spokesperson, shared these details with journalists in Abuja on Friday, shedding light on the illegal activities.

Afolabi stated that a thorough investigation led to the apprehension of an NSCDC staff member at the headquarters, found to be implicated in the criminal act. The Commandant-General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CG’s SIS), led by Commander Dandaura Appollos, conducted both the investigation and the subsequent arrest.

According to Afolabi, the unnamed operative allegedly took an AK-47 rifle from his post after his shift, rather than returning it to the armoury as required. Investigations uncovered that the individual concealed the weapon in two polythene bags, abandoned his duty without official clearance, and transported it to Otukpo in Benue State.

"The investigation revealed that the officer subsequently delivered the rifle to someone in Otukpo under a prior arrangement for N700,000 Naira," Afolabi disclosed. He further explained that the buyer then reportedly resold the AK-47 to an illegal arms dealer identified as IBB for N800,000. When questioned about the missing weapon, the primary suspect allegedly tried to cover up the offense by attempting to sign out another rifle. Afolabi affirmed, "Through covert tracking, surveillance and tactical interrogation, the intelligence team apprehended the principal suspects and recovered the AK-47 rifle."

In a separate but similar operation, the CG’s SIS also exposed a suspected systematic diversion of two G3 rifles from an NSCDC armoury between 2018 and 2024. This particular inquiry involved a personnel who was reportedly engaged in the illicit activity while serving as the head of armoury for the NSCDC Adamawa command. The senior officer allegedly removed the rifles from the store without authorization and sold them to junior personnel in two separate deals for N210,000 and N220,000, respectively.

"The investigation further revealed that the personnel allegedly resold the rifles to a civilian," Afolabi added. To mask the disappearance of the firearms during routine stocktaking, the senior officer reportedly falsified weekly armoury records. "After physical counting of available weapons by his assistant, he allegedly altered the register by handwriting the serial numbers of the missing rifles into the stock records. The manipulation allegedly created the impression that the firearms remained physically present in the armoury," he stated.

However, the CG’s SIS investigation ultimately uncovered this pattern, leading to the collection of confessional and other evidentiary statements from key individuals involved. Afolabi emphasized that this intelligence breakthrough by the CG’s SIS highlights the corps' renewed dedication to improving armoury accountability and preventing service weapons from falling into the hands of criminals.

He confirmed that "Internal disciplinary procedures against errant officers have been concluded." Furthermore, the NSCDC Commandant General, Ahmed Audi, has instructed the Directorate of Legal Services (DLS) to "immediately institute legal proceedings against all suspects across these four segments in courts of competent jurisdiction."

In another development, the squad successfully intercepted a syndicate involved in telecommunication vandalism. One suspect was apprehended while attempting to steal 12 telecommunication panels that had been vandalized from an equipment cabinet. Upon arrest, it was discovered that this vandalism and theft for financial gain had been ongoing for an extended period. "The NSCDC DLS is currently securing a 60-day remand order alongside search and arrest warrants to enable the CG’s SIS apprehend the fleeing syndicate members across Delta and Kano states," Afolabi concluded.