NSCDC Suspends Officer Over Shots Fired at Kubwa Market

For the traders at Kubwa Market in Abuja, October 25, 2026 was meant to be an ordinary working day. Instead, it ended with shots fired into the air during a confrontation between traders and an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The corps has now suspended the officer, Deputy Superintendent of Corps Onoja Babayo Samuel, over the alleged sporadic shooting.

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command had earlier arrested Samuel for allegedly firing shots into the air during the confrontation. The suspension followed that arrest.

In a statement on Thursday, the NSCDC’s National Public Relations Officer, Babawale Afolabi, said the officer’s conduct amounted to a gross violation of the corps’ rules of engagement and standard operating procedures.

The statement said: ‘The Commandant General of the NSCDC, Prof Ahmed Abubakar Audi, who maintains zero tolerance for misuse of firearms or any form of professional misconduct, has therefore directed an immediate suspension of the personnel and Orderly Room Trial to determine his level of culpability in the alleged offence.’

The Commandant-General, Ahmed Audi, directed the immediate suspension and the start of disciplinary proceedings.

The corps said Samuel has been stripped of his official responsibilities and relieved of his assignment until the disciplinary proceedings end.

A committee at the corps’ national headquarters in Abuja will handle the matter. The NSCDC said the outcome of the Orderly Room Trial and the internal disciplinary process will be made public once they conclude.

The corps reiterated its commitment to protecting lives and maintaining professional standards. It warned that it will not tolerate or shield any officer whose actions endanger public safety or violate operational guidelines.