From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi

An Automated Gas oil (AGO) distributor, Mr. Jimoh Abdulmumin, who is an
staff of Chidi Global Oil and Gas, Abuja has sought the immediate
intervention of the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil
Defense Corps(NSCDC) over alleged extortion of money by the officers of the
Kebbi State command.

Abdulmumin, alleged that , the officers,led by one Inspector Maigari
Yarima along side one Inspector Isyaku and Inspector Jumada arrested him
and the driver of his truck when they are distributing their product to
their customers in Jega town, a week ago.

While speaking with newsmen in Birnin Kebbi over his ordeal in the hand
of the officers, Abdulmumin, explained that, he and his driver were
arrested and detained for three days at the command’s headquarters without
their offence made known to them, stressed that, the Maigari Yarima seized
their truck and packed it at the Birnin Kebbi Yidi ground and insisted that
they must pay one million naira before they could be released.

According to him, “a week ago, some operative of Civil Defence led by one
Yarima Magaji arrested me and truck loaded with AGO, which is pure and
legitimate backing with relevant documents. But they claimed that the
product was adulterated and papers were fake.

“They kept us in their cell at their headquarters,Birnin Kebbi for three
days. When they continue threaten us of continue detentions, we started
negotiating from N200,000 but Yarima insisted that, he would not collect
less than a million naira for us to be release because the State Commandant too
will share from it.

“ After pressure from him, my boss asked me to call one of our customer
in Jega to come over over to plead to him, Yarima refused to let us go. He
wowed that, his Commandant will be given the money. Since our goods and
truck are still lavishing at the Yidi ground,Birnin Kebbi, we decided to
give them what they want so that our business will not suffer.

“I asked an attendant at the hotel, where I lodged at Jega to bring the
money in cash for me because Yarima refused to accept transfer of the
money. The boy brought the money in cash to him, he collected it and
arrested the boy again. We have to pay N10,000 before he allowed the boy to
go.

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“He also forced me to speak in a video that he and his officers did not
collected any money from us before he give us the key of the truck which I
did. But now, Yarima is not let us be doing our legitimate business in
Kebbi. He said that we must be giving him N70,000 any time we come to Kebbi
to do our business. That is why, we are seeking the intervention of the
Commandant General of Civil Defense in this case and the relevant
stakeholders on this matter”.

Abdulmumin complained that, when Yarima seized his phone, all his family
members, his wife and aged mother continue calling the phone but he refused
to pick their calls.

“Unfortunately, when he spoke in English language to my mother, my mother
fainted. She thought the kidnapers have kidnapped me and she was revived
at the Hospital in Kogi state”.

The victim, also accused Yarima of spending N7,000 plus, he seized from
his pocket when he remanded him in their cell at their Command Headquaters, GRA, Birnin Kebbi without food or water, stressed that when he asked,
Yarima said that he had “spent it, and nothing he could do about it.

He added that five Jerry cans of oil were removed from their truck by
Yarima and ferried away through a tricycle before their eyes, stressed that,
when he demanded for it, Yarima said they have taken it for labouratory
test in Gusau, yet,till now, no result and our offence was not
made known to us, Abdumumin added.

“All I wanted his justice because till now,I don’t know my offence. My
one million has gone,five Jerry can of oil have gone and we have to pay
N10,000 to bail a boy that brought one million to bail us. I want
justice,that is what I want”, he said.

While contacted on phone,the State Commandant of the NSCDC,Suleiman Ibrahim Marafa,said,since he could not see the newsmen face to face,he could not comment via phone.
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