A VIRAL letter indicating withdrawal of protection services from a member of the House of Representatives Shina Peller by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) over a bill seeking to scrap the agency is fake, according to the agency.
The NSCDC confirmed the development in a telephone interview with The ICIR on Wednesday.
In the letter signed by one Sotiyo Igbalawole, Peller was notified that the operatives of the NSCDC attached to him were to be withdrawn for urgent national assignment.
The letter read, “Following the directive of the Commandant General on the necessity of the deployment of the Command personnel for an urgent national security assignment.
“On behalf of the State Commandant, I hereby withdraw the personnel attached to you, this is to meet up with the urgent national need.”
However, the Oyo State NSCDC Commandant Adaralewa Micheal told The ICIR that the letter did not emanate from the command.
“No, that letter did not emanate from the command. Someone had just brought it to my attention before you called, but I can confirm to you that it did not originate from us,” he said.
When asked if the command had plans to withdraw its service from the lawmaker, Micheal said no.
He added that it was the duty of the NSCDC to provide and guarantee the security of all Nigerians irrespective of who they werere and what views they held.
Peller had stirred controversy for sponsoring a bill seeking to scrap the NSCDC.
The proposed legislation seeks to scrap the NSCDC and absorb its personnel into the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
According to Peller, the fragmentation of security resources across multiple competing agencies was counterproductive.
The lawmaker also argued that the functions of the NSCDC are conflicting with the statutory duties of the police.
You can reach out to me on Twitter via: vincent_ufuoma