Personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps deployed for the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State have complained over the alleged refusal of the authorities to pay their allowances, despite the election being held more than 10 days ago.

Six thousand NSCDC officers, including those from neighbouring states like Ekiti, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Lagos, Edo, and Delta, were part of the security deployment for the election.

The aggrieved officers, some of whom spoke anonymously to The PUNCH on Monday, expressed frustration over the delay in receiving their allowances, especially since other security agencies, like the police, had already been paid.

They highlighted economic challenges in the country and described the delay as unnecessary.

One aggrieved personnel, who spoke anonymously to our correspondent, lamented that the delay in the allowance payment was uncalled for.

He said, “Those of us who participated in the Ondo election have not been paid till now. Our counterparts like the police have received theirs already. The economy is not friendly.”

Another NSCDC operative also dissatisfied with the delay simply asked, “Please help us ask the Commandant General why we are yet to be paid.”

In response to the complaints, NSCDC spokesperson, Babawale Afolabi, stated that he had met with the Deputy Commandant General Operations and the General Commandant to address the issue.

According to Afolabi, the management informed him that the officers deployed for the Ondo election had already been paid their allowances on the field.

“I just met with the Deputy Commandant General Operations and the General Commandant over the issue. I learnt that the officers that were deployed for the Ondo election have been paid. They were paid on the field,” he said.

Operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested 10 suspected internet fraudsters.

The Spokesperson of the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, said this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

According to Oyewale, the suspects were arrested on November 22, at Adewale Estate and Sea Side Estate in the Badore axis of Lagos State.

“Their arrest followed credible intelligence on the activities of some members of an organised cybercrime syndicate suspected to be involved in computer-related fraud.

“Items recovered from them include exotic cars, mobile devices and mobile phones.

“The suspects have all volunteered their statements,” he said.

Oyewale said they would be charged to court as soon as investigations were concluded.

A Deputy Superintendent of Corrections, Innocent Ogbu, and 15 others have been reported abducted while travelling to Enugu for a development course.

Ogbu, the unit commander of the Armed Squad at the Medium-Security Custodial Centre in Minna, Niger State, was abducted along the Lokoja-Enugu road on Saturday, November 23, 2024.

Confirming the incident, the command’s public relations officer, Rabiu Mohammed, said the unit commander was taken along with 15 other commuters who were travelling in an 18-seater commercial bus.

The incident has been reported to the police and DSS, Mohammed added.