The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Thursday dismissed media reports that its operatives killed two students at a secondary school in Gwarinpa, Abuja.
Spokesperson of the FCT command of the NSCDC, Ms Comfort Okomanyi, stated that the students in question were alive and recuperating at a medical facility within the FCT.
Okomanyi added that the FCT Commandant of the NSCDC, Mr Olusola Odumosu, visited the wounded students on Thursday after a routine inspection of their school’s premises.
The media reports had stated that two students of Junior Secondary School, Gwarinpa, were accidentally hit by gunshots of personnel of the NSCDC during a scuffle between suspected cult groups.
Okomanyi stated that the Commandant-General of the NSCDC, Mr Ahmed Audi, had set up a panel of inquiry to investigate the matter.
She added that Audi assured that the NSCDC was determined to enforce internal disciplinary mechanism to punish any personnel found guilty in the unfortunate incident.
Okomanyi quoted Odumosu as saying that in the fracas, NSCDC personnel fired warning shots into the air to prevent carnage by notorious ex-students who were suspected cult members, but had been expelled from the school.
“The corps apologise to parents and guardians of the two students who were injured unintentionally during the intervention and promise to pick bills incurred in the course of their treatment,’’ he said.
Odumosu explained in the statement that the NSCDC was invited by the school’s management for security coverage through a letter dated Nov. 21 and signed by the principal, Mr Akinfolajimi Olayinka.
“On Wednesday, the school was invaded by some notorious elements, some of whom were expelled students and their student collaborators to disturb the peace of the school.
“They caused mayhem and destroyed cars belonging to teachers at the school’s parking lot.
“Armed with cudgels and other dangerous weapons, some of the hoodlums launched attack on the deployed unarmed NSCDC personnel, staff and students of the school which necessitated the call for reinforcement.
“On account of this development and to prevent the situation from getting out of hands, the police were intimated which resulted to the deployment of policemen to the school,’’ Odumosu explained in the statement.
Odumosu said reinforcement by NSCDC operatives and the police already restored normalcy, peace and order within and outside the school premises.