The Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) Zamfara Command has dismissed Assistant Superintendent Maikano Sarkin-Tasha over allegations of collaborating with bandits to supply hard drugs and ammunition.
State Commandant Sani Mustapha made the announcement during a press briefing in Gusau on Saturday. According to the reports, the Zamfara Police Command had paraded 17 suspected bandit collaborators on Friday, including Sarkin-Tasha.
Mustapha expressed shock at the officer’s arrest, stating that Sarkin-Tasha was apprehended at a checkpoint between the Damba and Sabon Gida areas while traveling to his hometown, Mada village, in Gusau Local Government Area. During the arrest, authorities allegedly discovered cannabis, other hard drugs, three G3 rifle armors, and an anti-rocket launcher on him.
The Commandant-General of the Corps, Dr. Ahmed Audi, reacted with disappointment, condemning the officer’s actions and instructing Mustapha to dismiss him from the Corps’ ranks immediately.
“The Corps has zero tolerance for indiscipline, corruption, criminality, or any behavior unbecoming of its officers,” Mustapha emphasized. He clarified that the officer’s conduct was an individual act and did not reflect the values or integrity of the Zamfara Command or the NSCDC nationwide.
As part of inter-agency collaboration, Mustapha stated his intention to cooperate with the Commissioner of Police for further action, including transferring Sarkin-Tasha to the NSCDC national headquarters in Abuja for internal disciplinary measures and potential prosecution.
He reaffirmed the NSCDC’s commitment to working with other security agencies to combat crime and criminality in Zamfara State, vowing to enforce strict discipline within the Corps, regardless of rank.
Mustapha concluded by pledging transparency throughout the investigation, promising to keep the public informed of any further developments. “The Corps does not condone any form of indiscipline, let alone involvement in banditry or terrorism-related activities,” he said.
