Thursday, May 21, 2026 - A Magistrate Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, has ordered the arrest of the state Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Abbas Mohammed, over his failure to appear before the court in an ongoing assault case involving two NSCDC officers.
The presiding judge, Chief Magistrate Adebayo Dupe, on
Wednesday, directed the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, to
arrest the NSCDC commandant and produce him before the court on the next
adjourned date.
The order followed an application filed by counsel to
Barrister Aladodo Abdullateef Nurudeen, who allegedly suffered assault in the
hands of two NSCDC officers, Ajayi Williams Gbolahan and Busari Babatunde.
Counsel for the complainant, Prof. D.A. Ariyo-Osu, told the
court that the NSCDC commandant had failed to comply with earlier orders
directing him to produce the defendants and personally appear before the court.
Ariyo-Osu argued that, “The commandant’s actions are
contemptuous and disrespectful, having ignored both the order to produce the
defendants and the order directing him to appear before this honourable court.”
He urged the court to issue a warrant for the arrest of the
NSCDC boss for allegedly disregarding lawful directives of the court.
Responding, counsel for the NSCDC officers, A. Imam,
informed the court that the command had petitioned the office of the Kwara
State Chief Judge for a reassignment of the matter.
Imam said the request for reassignment was based on what he
described as a loss of confidence in the court handling the case.
He said, “We have petitioned the office of the Honourable
Chief Judge for reassignment of the matter because the command has lost
confidence in the court.”
In a brief ruling, Chief Magistrate Dupe ordered the
Commissioner of Police in Kwara State to arrest and produce the NSCDC
commandant before the court on June 10, 2026.
The PUNCH reports that the case stemmed from a direct
criminal complaint earlier instituted by the Nigerian Bar Association, Ilorin
Branch, against the two NSCDC officers over the alleged assault of Barrister
Aladodo Nurudeen at the NSCDC office in Ilorin.
According to the complaint dated April 14, 2026 and signed
by the NBA secretary, Barrister Dauda Jimoh, the incident occurred on April 10,
2026, when the lawyer reportedly visited the NSCDC office in his professional
capacity to attend to a client.
The complaint read, “While standing under a tree near his
vehicle, the Defendants, officers of the NSCDC, confronted and physically
assaulted him despite our member identifying himself as a legal practitioner.”
“The Defendants, along with other officers, dragged our
member into a room where he was further brutalized and seriously assaulted.”
The NBA described the alleged assault as “unprovoked” and a
“blatant abuse of power,” adding that the lawyer sustained injuries and
humiliation as a result of the incident.
The association also alleged that the state NSCDC commandant
was present during the incident but failed to intervene.
“The Defendants’ actions amount to assault, causing hurt,
criminal intimidation, insult and annoyance contrary to Sections 265, 246 and
396 of the Penal Code Law,” the complaint added.
At the previous hearing, counsel to the prosecution, Prof.
Ariyo-Osu, represented by Barrister J.S. Muhammed, informed the court that the
NSCDC commandant had allegedly failed to obey an earlier order directing him to
produce the accused officers.
The prosecution subsequently applied for a warrant of arrest
against the officers and also sought a summons compelling the NSCDC commandant
to appear before the court.
Counsel for the NSCDC, M.M. Kolo, had apologised for the
absence of the commandant, explaining that the first defendant, Ajayi Williams
Gbolahan, allegedly absconded after disciplinary proceedings were initiated
against him by the corps.
“The first defendant absconded after disciplinary
proceedings were initiated against him by the corps, while the second defendant
could not be officially identified,” Kolo had told the court.
The court, thereafter, granted the prosecution’s
applications and adjourned the matter for further hearing.
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