The Ondo State Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has said its officers seen in a viral social media video allegedly manhandling some gas retailers in the state were carrying out a lawful enforcement operation.

Some disturbing videos emerged on Tuesday on social media showing the operatives of the NSCDC “assaulting and dragging gas cylinders” from a man and nursing mother believed to be his wife.

A check of the videos by Peoples Gazette showed that the incident occurred in Akure, the state capital, during a clampdown on gas retailers by the combined team of the NSCDC and the task force team of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

In one of the videos, the man and his wife were heard accusing the officers of extortion them rather than carrying our legitimate enforcement.

Reacting in a statement on Wednesday, the spokesman for the NSCDC in Ondo State, Daniel Aidamenbor, confirmed that the incident occurred during a routine compliance check on gas retail operators in the state.

Mr Aidamenbor, however, said the video, did not present the full context of what transpired between the victims and operatives of the NSCDC in the state.

He explained that though the command possessed “the complete video of the encounter,” the operation was carried out with the NMDPRA, the agency responsible for regulating the petroleum sector.

According to Mr Aidamenbor, the NMDPRA, formerly known as the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), approached the NSCDC to support enforcement of safety and licensing requirements for operators in the gas retail business.

He noted that the statutory mandate of the teams includes crisis management, disaster mitigation, and enforcement of safety standards, particularly in regulated sectors such as petroleum and gas retailing.

Mr Aidamenbor posited that attempts by officers to confiscate the equipment were resisted, leading to what it described as the application of “minimal force” to carry out the assignment.

“In the viral videos involving a man and a woman, they could not provide the licence to deal in petroleum product by NMDPRA when the officers demanded it. They allegedly stated that they had already made payment to a particular agency of government (not NSCDC).

“Attempt to confisticate the scale and cylinder were resisted by both of them. This prompted the officers to apply minimal force to get the assignment done.

“It should be noted that ignorance of the law is not an excuse. The officers were on a lawful assignment, and the citizen’s civic responsibility is to obey the law of the nation. Attacking, inflicting body injury, and obstructing them from carrying out their lawful duty is punishable under the law,” Mr Aidamenbor stated in the statement.

He further clarified that the NSCDC does not issue licences but conducts routine inspections to ensure compliance.

He further said retailers were expected to present valid licences during such checks, adding that failure to do so might result in the confiscation of equipment such as scales and gas cylinders, pending regularisation.

Defending the officers’ actions, he explained that the state commandant had ordered a full-scale investigation into the incident and directed that the personnel involved be recalled to base for debriefing.

The NSCDC reiterated its zero tolerance for unprofessional conduct and urged members of the public with evidence of extortion or abuse of power by its officers to report to the command through the public relations office.

Mr Aidamenbor also noted that the command had intensified public enlightenment campaigns on radio stations to educate residents on the risks of illegal gas retailing and the proper procedures for obtaining licences from the NMDPRA.

He noted, “The state commandant has zero tolerance for unprofessional conduct. He has, however, directed that a full-scale investigation into the incident be carried out while the officers have been recalled to base for debrief.

“If anyone has evidence of extortion or abuse of power against personnel of the NSCDC in Ondo State, the person should report to the command through the office of the public relations officer.”

However, the viral video has raised reactions online, with some residents condemning the conduct of the NSCDC operatives.