Civil Defence Corps staff kills boy, other over fuel

The lingering fuel  crisis has claimed lives as a female staff of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) shot dead a boy and another unidentified person at the AP Filling Station 21, Road, FESTAC Town.

The boy was alleged to have bought fuel in jerry cans and was going home when he was accosted by a team of civil Defence officials who arrested him.

The boy who should be about 18- years- old was said to have laid down on the road pleading with the corps members to allow him to go home as he was not a fuel hawker but had just bought the fuel for personal use.

Eyewitnesses said the Commander of the team who felt that the boy was resisting arrest, ordered a female official to shoot the “Bastard” and the woman obeyed his order and shot him.

On seeing the boy dying in the pool of his blood, the corps members zoomed off in their patrol van and ran away.

As at press time, men of the enhanced military patrol tagged ‘OP Mesa’ and the Nigeria Police led by the FESTAC Police Station Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Monday Agbonika were on the ground, making sure that angry mob did not take laws into their hands.

The angry sympathisers had attempted to set the filling station and some petrol tankers ablaze but were prevented by the security operatives.

A senior Police officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the killing of the young boy was unwarranted

“Why should they kill the boy? I think, the Civil Defence corps doesn’t know when to use firearms. They don’t even have regulation on firearms usage.”

Lagos State police command spokesman, Dolapo Badmos who confirmed the incident told The Guardian that the police was investigating the matter with a view of fishing out the Civil Defence personnel who committed the act and prosecuting them in the law court.

“One person was shot dead while three others were severely injured. The area commander Area E is on ground restoring normalcy while the command has commenced investigation to identify the civil defence operatives that were involved” Badmos said

However, attempt to set Forte Oil on fire was prevented by teams of policemen deployed from both the FESTAC Police Division and the Area E Police Command.

“One person was shot dead while three others were severely injured. The area commander Area E is on ground restoring normalcy while the command has commenced an investigation to identify the civil defence operatives that were involved.”