A Nigerian Security Civil Defence marine team on patrol at Ekeresan community waterside of Sapele LGA of Delta State, came under fire by militants operating in the creeks of the Niger Delta weekend killing their Commander and one other officer.
The dead Commander has been identified as Orok Bassey.
Only recently militants killed two soldiers of the 19 battalion Ops Delta safe while on marine operations in the same area, which prompted the Army Commanding Officer of the battalion in the area to advice security patrol teams not to enter the creeks of Benin river without backup.
The NSCDC officers obviously disregarded this order when they embarked on their ill fated marine operation.
Sources at the Delta state command of the NSCDC however put the blame on the Commandant General of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Dr. Hammed Audi Abubakar, and the head of the command in Delta State.
Source at the command who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said since the assumption of office of Audi he has allegedly enthroned corruption, nepotism and favouratism in the posting of officers especially in the Niger Delta.
“incompetent and corrupt officers are posted here to head anti bunkering units for the sole purpose of extorting money from oil bunkers, which they remit to top heirachy of the Corp in Abuja. There is no pretence about the fact that they are here to make money for themselves and their sponsors and not to check oil bunkering”
The head of the Delta State Command of Civil Defence Corp anti vandal unit has also been fingered and accused of being responsible for the death of the two Officers who were ambushed and killed over the weekend.
A source said he should be held liable because his policies precipitated the chain of events leading to the death of the two officers.
“Assistant Commandant James Adole , the HOU antivandal of Delta State Command should be held liable for the heavy cash return he demands from the antivandal team commanders and the Marine team because in their quest to meet his demand they disregard their own safety”
Another officer of the antivandal unit of the command that also spoke on condition of anonymity also confirmed that ACC Adole James collects monetary returns of cash from all team commanders everyweek.
According to the source, “the target must be met and taken to him in Asaba every Sunday or latest Mondays on a weekly basis” .
The source further alleged that targets are set by him and he increases it at will, telling them that the Commandant General has empowered him to perform the function so he can be remiting money to him in Abuja.
Giving insight into the modus operandi of the antivandal squad of the Corp and the tragic killing of the Commander, he noted that “setting targets for team commanders is largely responsible for the untimely death of DSC Bassey Orok and one of his staff. When targets are high, these officers will risk everything to meet up not minding the risk to their lives” . He said
“Orok Bassey is known for his notorious over billing of anyone he arrests for illegal bunkering as a civil defence officer and commander of his team. It has been said he charges up to 700,000 to N1M naira per arrest he makes and his excuse for doing such has been that the target set for him by the James Adole lead antivandal squad is high and always increasing , so he had to charge anyone he catches, heavily to meet the target”.
Orok Bassey is said to have been killed While on his usual campaign on the river on the faithful day, when gunmen ambushed his NSCDC marine team killing him instantly and another officer who was on patrol with him at Ekeresan community waterside of Sapele, Delta State..
