The Imo Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has denied being responsible for the death of a 15-month-old baby via a stray bullet.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Lowell Chimeziri, a corps Chief Superintendent, made the denial on Wednesday, April 19, in Owerri when he addressed newsmen on behalf of the Commandant, Mr Matthew Ovye.
Chimeziri described as “unfortunate” reports alleging that the NSCDC was culpable in the child’s death, an act which, he said, was “unknown to the modus operandi of the corps.
He said: “As a command, we only received the news of the death of the boy, identified as Chidalu, when his parents visited the command’s headquarters in Owerri recently.
“They came with Chidalu’s lifeless body, alleging that he was killed by a stray bullet fired by one of the men in a white Hilux van that drove past the ever-busy Fire Service Roundabout.
“The unfortunate thing is that Chidalu’s parents were made to believe that the men in the Hilux van were officers of the NSCDC.“ he said.
That assumption is “erroneous and unspeakable“, PRO Chimeziri said.
He urged the public to ignore the allegation and to remain calm while the command carries out holistic investigations in cooperation with other security agencies to unravel the culprits and make them face the law.
He said that there were many organisations using white Hilux vans in Imo just as there were other people who wore red collars.
Chimeziri said that the NSCDC was not responsible for the shooting and would never be associated with such a careless, cruel and inhumane act.
He expressed sympathy with the family of the deceased and urged them and the public to remain calm and law-abiding while awaiting investigation into the incident.
“By God’s grace, we will soon conclude our investigation and justice must prevail in this matter,” he said.