BEVERLY HILLS, March 01, (THEWILL) – The Nigeria Police on Wednesday explained why the leader of Peace Corp Nigeria, Dickson Akoh and 49 others were arrested.
The explanation comes a day after the police, in a combined operation with the State Security Services and the Nigerian Army, stormed the headquarters of the Peace Corps in Abuja, arresting its commandant and other national leaders.
Briefing reporters in Abuja on Wednesday during a joint press briefing and parade of arrested PCN members, the Force Spokesperson, CSP Jimoh Moshood said intelligence report revealed that the Corp has started acquiring weapons and conducting convert military training in different locations across the country.
He said such actions violated a 2013 gazette of the federal government that banned the groups and ordered them to cease operations.
“The Nigeria Police Force in joint operations with the Personnel of the Military and Department of State Service commenced yesterday 28th February, 2017, operations to halt and rid the country of illegal/unlawful security outfits constituting National Security Threat and Threat to the protection of life and property of Nigerians across the country,” he said.
“Credible intelligence reports at the disposal of the Force revealed that some of these illegal Security outfits have started acquiring weapons and conducting covert military training in different locations across the country.
“It is evident that in 2013, Federal Republic of Nigeria official Gazette dissolved and proscribed illegal Security outfits such as Nigerian Maritime security Agency (NMSA), Nigerian Merchant Navy Corps and the Nigerian Merchant Navy Petroleum Security and Safety, Peace Corps of Nigeria and other quasi illegal security outfits.
“However, it has been observed that Nigerian Maritime Security Agency NMSA, Peace Corps of Nigeria, Maritime Security Agency and National Task Force to Combat Illegal Importation/Smuggling of Arms and Ammunition, Light and Chemical/Weapons are still operating outside their mandates and purposes for which they were registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission.
“For avoidance of doubt the Peace Corps of Nigeria under the leadership of one Akor Dickson was registered as an NGO but with brazen impunity, total disregard to the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, opened illegal training camps in some States of the Country, where thousands of youths and other persons without proper background check and screening are receiving converts Military training.
“It is consequent upon the above and the veracity of intelligence reports from reliable sources, indicating that subversive elements/groups and terrorist affiliates have infiltrated the Peace Corps of Nigeria secretly to ruin and destroy the existing peace currently being enjoyed in the country that the Peace Corps of Nigeria secret training camps were closed down in the FCT, Kwara and Niger States.
“During the preliminary investigation into the activities of the Peace Corps of Nigeria, it was discovered that personnel of the Corps are extorting money from unwary youths throughout the Country under the guise of recruitment; amounts ranging from Fifty Thousand Naira (#50,000) to Hundreds of Thousands of Naira are being paid by innocent Nigerians to the Peace Corps of Nigeria. Once you paid the money you are automatically recruited. Anyone who must have paid money under any pretence to the Peace Corps of Nigeria should report their case at the nearest Police Station in where they are across the country.
“The Peace Corps of Nigeria has unlawfully turned itself into a security outfit without authorization and establishment by the Federal Government of Nigeria, as such, have deviated from the purposes for which they were registered as a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) by the Corporate Affairs Commission.
“The Corps has no legal authority to wear uniform, parade itself as Security outfit, post their personnel on guard duties, and use ranking, insignia, badges of rank which are semblance of that of the Police, Military and other paramilitary organizations without the approval of Federal Government of Nigeria.
“The Nigeria Police Force and other Security Agencies will not fold their arms and allow lawlessness to be unleashed on the society.
“It is in furtherance of the above that the Nigeria Police Force, the personnel of the Military, Department of State Service, had in a joint security operations swooped on the Head office of the Peace Corps of Nigeria on the 28th February, 2017 situated opposite Jabi Lake, Utako District, sealed off the building and effected the arrest of one Mr. Akor Dickson, the Leader of Peace Corps of Nigeria and Forty Nine (49) others (on the attached list) for investigation in the interest of public safety and security. They will be arraigned in court on completion of investigation.
“This joint security operations will be implemented throughout the country to halt the illegal activities of all these proscribed illegal Security outfits such as Nigerian Maritime Security Agency (NMSA), Nigerian Merchant Navy Corps and the Nigerian Merchant Navy Petroleum Security and Safety, Peace Corps of Nigeria and other quasi illegal security groups.
“Parents and Guardians are advised to prevail on their children and wards to return home from the illegal military camps opened in some states of the country by the Peace Corps of Nigeria as the activities of the Corps in totality is unlawful.”
The clampdown came weeks after the Nigerian Senate and the House of Representatives harmonised the Nigerian Peace Corps Bill to give the group, which had operated as a volunteer organisation for 18 years, government backing.
On his part, the leader of the Corp, Akoh explained that the money collected was for the kits for members of the Corp.
“It is shameful that we have teething security challenges and you are showing our uniform as an exhibit. The constitution of the Corp approved by CAC properly vetted by the security before we were registered in 1998,” he said.
“There is national youth development policy that spells out youth organisation to operate and we have over 47 uniform youth organisation.
“We have been operating within our scope and we are out to reorientate the youth. No matter the character of youths, when they are taught national ethics and discipline, they change. The youths need a platform to change and that is what we do.
“The money paid is for their uniform, kits, accommodation because we pay for the venue. It is voluntary and not compulsory. We have ICPC’s clearance for that money. EFCC is investigating this matter and they discovered that we never forced anybody.”
