The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Oyo State Command, has denied allegations that its State Commandant, Augustine Padonu, operates a scheme of extortion and compulsory financial contributions from personnel deployed on beats across the State for his birthday and church harvest.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Samuel Opebiyi, stated that the NSCDC was responding to a recent online publication that accused the commandant of running an extortion scheme.
The report claimed that personnel deployed to various beats across the state were forced to make financial contributions towards the commandant’s birthday and a church harvest celebration.
Opebiyi clarified that the commandant never directed, authorised, or instructed any officer to make financial contributions for any personal event, and he emphasised that the commandant’s birthday and church harvest celebrations were strictly private family matters that occurred in early August and were not connected to official Corps resources.
The command questioned the timing of the allegations, noting that they surfaced immediately after a major restructuring and personnel redeployment exercise carried out on Sept. 24, which was carried out for operational efficiency in anticipation of the 2027 general elections.
Opebiyi attributed the publication to disgruntled individuals who were dissatisfied with the new operational postings and were attempting to undermine the integrity of the commandant, maintaining that personnel rotations were routine administrative procedures necessary for the Corps to fulfil its national security mandate.
“The State Commandant remains fully committed to the Corps’s mandate of protecting lives and property, safeguarding critical national assets and infrastructure, and supporting other security agencies in maintaining peace and security in the state,” Opebiyi said.
Opebiyi further expressed that the Command will not tolerate any unauthorised deduction from, or levy on, the allowances of its personnel, and any officer with a genuine complaint is encouraged to use the established administrative channels, which will receive prompt and fair attention.
The command spokesperson urged media houses to uphold objectivity and verify facts before publication, while advising the general public to disregard unverified claims aimed at damaging public confidence in the command’s leadership.
“The command will not be distracted from its duties in an attempt to undermine public confidence in the Corps or the leadership of the State Commandant,” he said.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
