A fight erupted in the early hours of Tuesday between policemen and men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Nasarawa State over a network cable left a policeman and an officer of the NSCDC injured in Papeiri village of Gitata District in Karu LGA.
Confirming the incident in a telephone interview on Tuesday, the spokesman of NSCDC in the state, Jerry Victor, said the problem that led to the fracas was due to the dismantling of a telecommunication mast. He said, "We are the leading agency in all critical national assets and infrastructure across the country, and before you dismantle any telecommunication mast, the company concerned must write to the command telling it that this is what is going to happen. We in turn will provide security to that place in case any problem may emerge.
"But unfortunately, the company in question did not inform the command, and we immediately informed the area commandant to provide security within the area to avoid any illegal dismantling of the mast.
"But later on we got information that there was a fracas between the personnel of NSCDC and the police. So we had to deploy our personnel to the scene; and upon arrival the fight further compounded with the police officers that were on guard in that area.
"Three of our personnel were involved in the fight and in the process one and a police officer sustained injuries."
When contacted via telephone, the state's Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr Umar Shehu Nadada, said the DPO of Gitata informed that there was an issue of removal of a telecommunication mast by NSCDC and instructed him not to allow anybody to remove any telecommunication mast.
He said, "The Commandant of NSCDC in the state, Mr Ismalia Abdullahi, called him and told him that the directive to dismantle the telecommunication mast was from the headquarters of NSCDC, and I told him that since the directive was coming from their office he should give him time to also confirm from his office."
According to him, the NSCDC commandant sent him some documents related to that, adding that he directed the DPO of Gitata to allow them since there was an official letter from their office.
The police boss maintained that it was part of NSCDC's mandate and that based on that he directed the DPO to withdraw the personnel of the command from the area, refuting that there was a physical clash between the police and NSCDC; that it was mere utterances and raising of voices on each.
