By Orji Sampson/Nkama Chioma
One of the Federal Agencies operating in Owerri, Imo state, An National Committee Against Touting on Monday this week was drawn into an unusual war against a sister agency the Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corp NSCDC, over what was alleged to be an illegal occupation of one of the government properties of the state.
The unusual incident took place at the office of NCAT on Aba – Owerri road.
Trumpets learnt that men of the Civil Defence Corps who according to reports were acting on the premise that NCAT illegally acquired the office apartment they were using forcefully moved in to eject them out of the office even when officials of NCAT were explaining to them they legally obtained permission of the said building.
According to information made available to Trumpeta,the incident which took place in the morning was solely to dislodge the NCAT staff and have them relocate else.
The State Director of operations NCAT, S.N.Supretendent Irodi Paul while narrating to Trumpeta how the incident happened said his anger was how men of the NSCDC who were fully armed was commanding them to vacate the apartment which according to him was legally given to them by the state government.
He said, “before we could explain anything, they started demolishing our building and as a result broke into our locked offices and started throwing away our properties outside.
The personal Assistant to the commandant of NCAT in Imo state, Mr Collins Emeto a man in his late 60’s further narrated how he was beaten up by the Civil Defence corps because he demanded to know the reason behind their actions as he tried stopping them.
Concurring to Emeto’s narration, Officer in charge of Finance, Mr Anozie Ikechukwu said they broke their entrance forcefully into the Commandant’s office and started destroying their properties and some were carted away to only God knows where. However, Trumpeta also learnt that the Commandant of NCAT, Mr Nicholas Njoku had placed a call across to the Commandant of the NSCDC in the State who who they said promised to look into the matter and have it resolved.
Also in own statement, the Deputy Commandant NCAT Owerri zone, Hon.Chief John Nwaike said that he himself was a victim to the unfortunate incident as his office was vandalised in his absence which he termed as an insult to him and a criminal offence.
He addede that on reaching the scene he tried to verify what was happening but alleged that the Deputy Civil Defence Commandant rather threatened to deal with him adding that one of his senior officers, Ndiwe Okwudiri was allegedly beaten up for allegedly making calls at the scene of the incident as they allegedly handcuffed him and took him away to their custody and that all efforts made to have him released proved abortive.
He lamented seriously against the alleged intimidation melted out on them by men of the Civil Defence as he concluded by stating that he wants peace and not war appealing that the matter should be resolved to avoid further occurrence.
