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Update On The Peace Corps Arrest by topsam1(m): 10:02pm On Mar 01, 2017
UPDATES ON PEACE CORPS ARREST

Why Police arrested Peace Corps leader,
49 others

The Police have explained why the leader of Peace
Corp Nigeria, Dickson Akoh and 49 others were
arrested.
Members of the Corps were arrested in Abuja on
Tuesday at their head office by personnel of the
Police, Military and Department of State Service
(DSS).

The police alleged that those arrested are
operating an illegal security outfit.
The Police also said the arrest was an attempt to
halt and rid the country of illegal and unlawful
security outfits constituting national security threat
and threat to the protection of life and property of
Nigerians across the country.
The police also disclosed that the flag of the Corp is
in semblance with the flag of Gambia adding that
its beret was for officers on United Nation’s
mission.
Recorded from the operation were recruitment
forms, 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.

Explaining why the arrest was made, Moshood
said: “the operation was done to halt and rid the
country of illegal security outfits constituting
national security threats to the protection of life
and property of Nigerians across the country.
“It is evident that in 2013, Federal Republic of
Nigeria official Gazette dissolved and prescribed
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.

The police said it observed that some of the outfits
are still operating outside their mandates and
purposes which they were registered by the CAC.
According to Moshood: “The PCN under the
leadership of Akoh was registered as an NGO but
with brazen impunity, total disregard to the laws of
Nigeria, opened illegal training camps in some
States of the country, where thousands of youths
and other persons without a proper background
check and screening are receiving converts military
training.

“It is consequent upon a veracity of intelligence
reports from reliable sources, indicating that
subversive groups and terrorists affiliates have
infiltrated the Peace Corp secretly to ruin and
destroy the existing peace currently being enjoyed
in the country that the PCN secret training camps
were closed down in Abuja, Kwara and Niger
States.”

He also said that investigation revealed that
personnel of the Corp are extorting money from
unwary youths throughout the country.
“Under the guise of recruitment, amounts ranging
from N50,000 to hundreds of thousands are being
paid by innocent Nigerians to the Corp. Once you
pay the money, you are automatically recruited.
The police have asked those who paid money
under any pretence to the Corp to report their case
at the nearest Police Station across the country.
He further said: “The Corp has unlawfully turned
itself into a security outfit without authorization
and establishment by the Federal Government of
Nigeria, as such deviated from the purposes for
which they were registered as NGO by the CAC.

“The Corp has no legal right to wear a 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 organisations
without the approval of Federal Government of
Nigeria”, he added.

The police also revealed that halting of illegal
Security outfits will be done across the country.
The Force, however, urged parents to prevail on
their wards to return home from illegal military
camps opened in some State.
On the flag of the Corp and the beret used, he said:
“the flag is a semblance of the Gambian flag and
the beret is a semblance of the United Nation’s
mission across the world.

“Before using this, the federal government must
approve it which is not the case here and that
constitutes a National embarrassment to the
nation. What is available to us that the Corp has not
been registered as a security outfit.

On whether the police was not questioning the
authority of the National Assembly, he said: “We
are not in contrast with any authority. What we
know is that security outfits are established and
approved by the federal government of Nigeria and
in this case, that has not being done.
On his part, the leader of the Corp, Akoh explained
that the money collected was for the kits for
members of the Corp.

According to him: “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.
“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”.
He accused the police of instigating the youths
against the Corp.


Source: The Nation
Re: Update On The Peace Corps Arrest by LAFO: 10:06pm On Mar 01, 2017
grin

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