Police Declare Peace Corps ‘Illegal’, Say Initiators May Go To Jail
The Nigeria Police Force has described as illegal the activities of the Peace Corps of Nigeria accusing its leadership of “acquiring weapons” and conducting covert military operations across the country.
The Police in a statement signed by its spokesperson Jimoh Moshood, alleged that terrorists have infiltrated the Peace Corps which necessitated the arrest of its leaders.
The enforcement agency further accused initiators of the Peace Corps of employment racketeering and fraudulently obtaining money from youths in the guise of offering them employment.
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It added that the leaders may face jail term if found guilty of such offences as they will be arraigned in court soon.
Recall that on Tuesday, February 28th, 2017, a joint operation with personnel from the military and department of state services raided the newly opened headquarters of the Peace Corps of Nigeria, arresting the Commandant General Akor Dickson and about 47 others.
The statement reads: “Credible intelligence reports at the disposal of the Force revealed that some of these illegal security outfits have started acquiring weapons and conducting covert military training in different locations across the country.
“It is evident that in 2013, Federal Republic of Nigeria official Gazette dissolved and proscribed illegal security outfits. However, it has been observed that Nigerian Maritime Security Agency NMSA, Peace Corps of Nigeria, Maritime Security Agency and National Task Force to Combat Illegal Importation/Smuggling of Arms and Ammunition, Light and Chemical/Weapons are still operating outside their mandates and purposes for which they were registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission.
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“For avoidance of doubt the Peace Corps of Nigeria under the leadership of one Akor Dickson was registered as an NGO but with brazen impunity, total disregard to the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, opened illegal training camps in some states of the country, where thousands of youths and other persons without proper background check and screening are receiving covert military training.
“It is consequent upon the above and the veracity of intelligence reports from reliable sources, indicating that subversive elements/groups and terrorist affiliates have infiltrated the Peace Corps of Nigeria secretly to ruin and destroy the existing peace currently being enjoyed in the country that the Peace Corps of Nigeria secret training camps were closed down in the FCT, Kwara and Niger states.”
