By NATHAN NWAKAMMA

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Tuesday dismissed allegations that its men killed three youths of Adiegbe community in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa.

This is contained in a statement isued by Solomon Diri-Ogbere, Spokesman for NSCDC in Bayelsa.

”Preliminary findings indicate that our patrol team on pipeline surveillance duties was ambushed by armed gunmen who opened fire on them.

”The patrol team subsequently repelled the attack. The command wishes to state unequivocally that personnel of the NSCDC alongside the Tantita Security Services were on pipeline surveillance within the area when they were attacked by some armed youths who tried to prevent them from carrying out their lawful duty of protection of pipelines.

“The claim that the coordinator of Tantita Security Services allegedly ordered the personnel to shoot, is a fabricated falsehood.

“NSCDC officers in Bayelsa are trained and briefed on the operational terms of the pipeline surveillance, which is one of the core mandates of the NSCDC.

“Our personnel are well abreast of their rules of engagement in weapon handling and would never use their weapon at any slight provocation, as the commandant General NSCDC has it as a policy that accidental discharge is not acceptable in the corps,” he said.

The NSCDC, he said, would continue to carry out its core mandate of protecting critical national infrastructure and make sure those sabotaging the nation’s economy through illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalism are chased out of business within Bayelsa and other are in the Niger Delta region.

The spokesman assured the people that the NSCDC would remain focused in the fight against oil theft and pipeline vandalism as well as working with other sister security agencies in ensuring the safety of live and property in Bayelsa. (NAN)