‘Letter sent without clearance’ — NSCDC CG reinstates officers attached to Shina Peller

Ahmad Audi, commandant-general of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has ordered the reinstatement of officers attached to Shina Peller, a member of the house of representatives.

A letter, dated February 2, 2022, and signed by Sotiyo Igbalawole on behalf of the Oyo NSCDC commandant, had ordered the withdrawal of NSCDC officers attached to Peller.

The withdrawal of the NSCDC personnel came hours after the lawmaker sponsored a bill seeking to scrap the agency.

But in a statement issued on Wednesday night by Odumosu Olusola, spokesman for the agency, the NSCDC CG said the letter from the Oyo commandant was sent “without clearance”, adding that the officer who ordered the withdrawal acted out of line.

“The leadership of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has dismissed as unauthorised 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,” the statement reads.

“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 Ahmed Abubakar Audi, mni, has therefore directed a reinstatement of the withdrawn officers with complement of necessary courtesies to the Honourable Member.”