Peace Corp remains a rogue organization – Police

The Nigeria Police Force said the office of the Peace Corps of Nigeria in Jabi, Abuja remains shut because the order proscribing the existence and operations of the organisation is still in force.

Recall that a Federal High Court recently ruled that the office be opened, but the police said they have appealed the judgment and filed a stay of execution. 

In a statement released by the Police, illegal security outfits such as Nigerian Maritime security Agency (NMSA), Nigerian Merchant Navy Corps and the Nigerian Merchant Navy Petroleum Security and Safety, Peace Corps of Nigeria and other quasi illegal security outfits were dissolve and proscribed in 2013 as recorded in the Federal Republic of Nigeria official gazette.

The Police in the statement said it observed that some of these proscribed illegal security outfits and the Peace Corps of Nigeria were still operating outside the mandates and purposes for which they were registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission.

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“It is in furtherance of the above that the Nigeria Police Force, the personnel of the Military, Department of State Service, had in a joint security operation entered the Head office of the Peace Corps of Nigeria on the 28th February, 2017 situated opposite Jabi Lake, Utako District, sealed off the building and effected the arrest of one Mr. Akor Dickson, the Leader of Peace Corps of Nigeria and Forty Nine (49) others for investigation in the interest of public safety and security.”

“They were promptly arraigned in court for prosecution on criminal offences of Obtaining Money and Property under false pretence, Operating illegal Security Outfit, Money laundering, Advance Fee fraud and other related offences which are still pending before the Federal High Court, Abuja.”

The Police also stated that  on the 14th of April, 2011, the Peace Corps of Nigeria under the same Akor Dickson, prior to the Presidential Election in 2011, with brazen impunity and total disregard to the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act did deploy some of its personnel for the conduct of the General Election, but were prevented by the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies from functioning as a security outfit or disguising as Election Observer/Monitoring Group covering the Election.

The Police said it took the steps “in the interest of National Security and Public Safety”, and assured Nigerians that being a law abiding orgnisation, it will obey the outcome of the appeal pending determination in Court and the exhaustion of all legal processes in this matter.