The attention of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps ( NSCDC ), Lagos State Command has been immediately, brought to the viral story making the rounds on the social media space via online news platforms, links and channels about the unfortunate robbery invasion claimed, by some news purveyors, to have been perpetrated, by fifteen ( 15 ) masked men in Civil Defence uniforms and 15 unmasked tugs, in an hotel named, Seafortunes Hotel, said, to be situated, at Godwin Obasi, Ago Palace way, Okota, Lagos State, on a particular Sunday ( exact date withheld in the viral stories ).

The Command has keenly observed, within few hours of reading these reports that purveyors of the story, overreachingly in a bid to attract more online readers and traffic to their websites, decided, to caption their stories with ‘Civil Defence or NSCDC personnel / operatives loot Lagos hotel …,’ without proper recourse to honest fact finding, objectivity, organizational reputation, adequate professional clarifications, true conscience, and balancing their stories, amidst others.

The NSCDC, Lagos State Command, wishes to state categorically and unequivocally, clear that such act is unbelievably evil and can only be perpetrated, by evil doers and men of the underworld. Therefore, they are not members of the NSCDC, Lagos State Command, in any form, way and ramification.

Without mincing words anyone, who is in anyway current, at all with the prevailing trends of events, in the security hemisphere today, do not need to be updated, with the fact that evil doers, criminals and charlatans now, parade themselves as regular security agents of government globally and not limited, to our dear nation, Nigeria, to prank their unsuspecting victims, with the intention to make them vulnerable and carry out their evil machinations.

The NSCDC, Lagos State Command wishes to seize this opportunity, to advise the general public to continue to trust the Corps and support it in ensuring the fulfillment of its mandates of fighting economic sabotage, amidst other heinous crimes in the state. It is also important for the people to see something and say something as this criminal elements are trying various and new methods everyday, to beat their unsuspecting victims and cart away valuables, destroy assets and infrastructure as well as even maim their victims, if that will satisfy their soul, especially, through ‘impersonation of security organizations and wearing their uniforms.’

It is also pertinent to advise media organizations, especially, reputable, revered and verifiable ones to always verify, clarify and fact find their stories, before going ahead to publish in their subsequent attempts. This will help foster objectivity, in reporting, balancing and truth, good conscience and social peace, amongst others. No one will gain anything good in trying to bring a well respected organization down, through an act of sensationalism.

Signed.
SC Oluwaseun Abolurin, fcss, pjsc, mis, mpa, amb., anipr,
Civil Defence PRO,
Lagos State Command.
31/01/2025.