Fresh scandal hits borno NSCDC as officer accused of stealing truck spare parts, selling exhibits under command’s watch

Fresh scandal hits borno NSCDC as officer accused of stealing truck spare parts, selling exhibits under command’s watch

By: Zagazola Makama

A new wave of scandal has erupted within the Borno State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), following an explosive investigation by counterinsurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, which uncovered allegations of theft, extortion, and conversion of recovered exhibits by the officer in charge of the Njimtilo outpost.

The incident, now causing an uproar among residents in Maiduguri, centres on Usman Y. Bulama, the Divisional Officer in charge of the Njimtilo NSCDC post, who allegedly stole or knowingly received stolen truck spare parts, sold them, and then attempted to extort money from the rightful owner.

According to findings a Maiduguri-based mechanical engineer repairing heavy-duty trucks at Njimtilo reported that key spare parts worth over N800,000 were stolen from his garage at night. Days later, the owner was shocked to discover the same spare parts inside the NSCDC Njimtilo outpost, under the custody of Officer Bulama.

When confronted, Bulama reportedly told the owner that he had “recovered the parts from a thief” — yet could not produce the alleged thief, provide a report, or explain how the items left his custody.

Rather than release the recovered property, Bulama allegedly demanded N500,000 as “settlement” before the items could be returned. The victim offered N100,000, but the officer refused and insisted on collecting nothing less than the full N500,000.

Investigations revealed that after internal pressure mounted at the command headquarters, the officer suddenly re-produced some of the spare parts, but four key components valued at over N800,000 were missing. He claimed the missing items were “never recovered”.

However, It ater uncovered that Bulama had sold the missing spare parts, and that N150,000 was transferred into his personal account as payment. In a revelation that stunned the investigative panel, the buyer of the stolen spare parts told investigators that he purchased the items as an official auction within the NSCDC outpost.

He said he did not know they were stolen exhibits but believed they were legally auctioned materials released under the authority of the divisional office. The testimony raises deeper questions about the operational culture within the NSCDC command, and whether officers have been routinely converting recovered items for private gain.

After the matter reached the Commandant of the NSCDC in Borno State, Mr. Muhammad Hassan-Agalama, the divisional officer was relieved of his command and directed to face a disciplinary committee.

But despite the findings confirming the sale of the stolen items, transfer of proceeds into his personal account, and failure to produce either the alleged thief or the recovered property, the command neither prosecuted the officer nor imposed any meaningful punishment.

Meanwhile, the victim did not recover his missing property, further fuelling public anger over what many describe as “institution-protected theft”.

This was not the first scandal under the same command, Zagazola’s investigation uncovered a troubling pattern of alleged misconduct within the NSCDC Borno Command, particularly under Commandant Hassan-Agalama.

Sometimes this year, a truck loaded with banned scrap metals materials prohibited for movement by the Borno State Government was reportedly released on the direct orders of the Commandant.

In another incident, a tanker filled with scrap metal was also released under similar circumstances, despite the standing ban. The recurring controversies caused serious embarrassment to security stakeholders in the state. These incidents eventually led to the removal and transfer of Commandant Hassan-Agalama to the Kano Command after spending less than three months in Borno.

The Njimtilo incident “reflects a pattern of internal breakdown that, if unaddressed, will compromise the Corps’ mandate in the state.”
The absence of strict disciplinary action encourages impunity and damages public trust in law enforcement institutions.

We are calling for immediate prosecution of the officer, recovery of the stolen items, and a total overhaul of the NSCDC outposts across the state.

For now, the command is yet to issue a public statement on the latest scandal.

Fresh scandal hits borno NSCDC as officer accused of stealing truck spare parts, selling exhibits under command’s watch