The Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr Ayodele Phillips, has insisted that he still has an axe to grind with the Osun Peace Corps of Nigeria, unless they produce the officers that beat up his personnel.
Ayodele, made this known while addressing newsmen at the NSCDC Command in Osogbo, stating that “it was an insult for members of the Peace Corps (which has not been gazetted) to beat up a uniformed personnel of the NSCDC.”
He insisted that until the officers of the Peace Corps, named Alata and Adamu, are produced and brought to the NSCDC Command, the issue cannot be settled.
Giving the genesis of what happened, the NSCDC boss said a personnel of the corps, named Olarinoye, on Saturday, was accosted and beaten up by one Ayinde John, a Peace Corps member and others, along Ilesha road, contrary to claims that Olarinoye was blocking the Peace Corps quarter guard.
According to him, sometime in December, Olarinoye had an encounter with men of the Peace Corps, when he and a colleague went to inspect their car at a mechanic workshop, some metres away from the Peace Corps Command.
He said when his officers got to the mechanic workshop, they met some individuals who allegedly tampered with the windscreen and doors of the car in order to cart away valuables.
“When they were questioning the mechanic about the condition of the car, some Peace Corps members around the workshop took offence and started beating the mechanic.
“When NSCDC men rescued the mechanic from them, the peace corps members became irritated and unleashed their anger on the NSCDC officers, including Olarinoye.
Ayodele said when he heard about the Saturday incident, he called the Peace Corps Commandant, but instead of the commandant honouring his call, eight unruly members of the Peace Corps led by Olatawura Oluwole, few hours later, forcefully entered the NSCDC premises with intent to cause mayhem.
Furthermore, he stated that because of timely intervention, the mayhem was averted, adding that the NSCDC would never be involved in any action or inaction that would jeopardize peaceful co-existence in the state and Nigeria at large.
God Will Do Justice
Giving his own opinion about what transpired, the Deputy Commandant, Admin of Peace Corps of Nigeria (Osun), Mr Akande Olawale, narrated that his commandant told him to go and see the NSCDC commandant to iron out issues.
According to him, when he got to their base, himself and his men were beaten and thrown in detention.
He added that when he went down to the NSCDC command as instructed by his commandant, his car was vandalised and that he was equally detained alongside his men and driver for an hour.
Olawale then stated that the claim that an officer of the NSCDC was beaten by his men was not true, as the officer in question, got himself injured when he hit his head against a sign post, under which he was seated, in an attempt to rise up.
He explained that the NSCDC Officer, angrily got up to challenge his men over what rights they have to control traffic at the entrance to their base.
Defending his men, he said all they did was ask him to remove his car; which according to them, had been blocking the route to their base.
“The commandant of the NSCDC after releasing me and my men, asked me to produce the people that beat up his personal, and I promised to investigate and interrogate those involved, and get back to him.
“It was however surprising to me that the NSCDC wrote a letter that I should produce the two officers they claimed beat up their personnel after we had reached an agreement that I will investigate and interrogate those involved in the matter and get back to them.”
Olawale, however, stated that by that act, the NSCDC was subjecting them to humiliation and that “God would do justice to the matter”.
