NSCDC Officer Killed in Rivers State

An operative of the Special Mining Marshal unit of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) was shot dead on Monday at Umunwantu village located in the Umuechem community of Etche Local Government Area, Rivers State.

Reports indicate that the deceased NSCDC operative had been assigned from the corps’ national headquarters as a member of the Special Mining Marshal team working in the area.

This officer was accompanying officials who were enforcing a ban on sand dredging activities within the community.

The situation turned chaotic when a confrontation occurred between the drivers of sand-laden trucks and the government officials following an accidental discharge of the officer’s rifle, which resulted in the death of an individual known only as Bright at the sand dump site.

Witnesses recounted that following the accidental shooting, the officer was subsequently attacked and shot dead by suspected assailants at the same location.

A senior member of the Rivers State NSCDC Command confirmed the incident but opted to remain anonymous, stating that the officer had been deployed from the national headquarters.

“I must insist that I am speaking on the condition of anonymity as I am not at liberty to discuss this incident publicly. Yes, it did occur, and it involved a Special Mining Marshal, a tactical team sent from headquarters,” he remarked.

In response to the deadly altercation, the Etche Local Government Council has temporarily halted all operations involving tipper drivers and their associated parks in the area.

Chief Chima Njoku, the Chairman of the Etche Local Government Area, issued a statement through his Chief Press Secretary, Dagogo Isaac, mandating an immediate suspension of all tipper driver activities until further notice.

The official communication indicated that this directive was a direct consequence of the death of the NSCDC officer, who was engaged in supervisory duties alongside representatives from the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.

The statement further outlined that all officials from the Tipper Drivers/Parks Unions operating in the Etche Local Government Area are required to report to the Okehi Police Division to clarify their respective roles in the incident. They must also explain the circumstances surrounding the obstruction of the Chokocho–Igwuruta Federal Highway.

“Failure to comply with this directive will result in serious legal repercussions,” the statement concluded.

Earlier, the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development had instituted a prohibition on sand dredging and mining operations on the Chokocho–Umuechem Road, Chokocho–Igbo Road, and within the Okoroagu, Umuayagu, and Egwi communities in the local government area, citing the detrimental environmental impact on local roads and surrounding communities.