Bayelsa NSCDC Chief Disappears

Deputy Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Bayelsa State, Mr. Raymond Terwase Gaadi, has disappeared.

Gaadi was posted from Enugu State Command to Bayelsa to take over as the second in command in April.

Gaadi’s phones have been switched off since he got missing, fuelling apprehension as to his safety.

His elder brother, Terkura Gaadi, said after missing Raymond’s calls on October 22, he could not reach him as his phones usually rang out until October 30 when all the lines were switched off.

It could not be ascertained if the NSCDC officer was kidnapped, involved in an auto crash or drowned in the floods ravaging Bayelsa.

Terkura said: “Raymond was transferred from Enugu State and he started work at Bayelsa State Command in April. He was in the state until he got missing in October. He visited me in May and informed me that he had assumed duty at his new posting.

“Actually, he called me on October 22, around 6pm, but I missed his calls. When I called back, I did not get any response from him. It was around October 30 that his phones were totally switched off up till today. That was when we started sensing that something must have happened to him.

“I have personally spoken with NSCDC Commandant in Bayelsa State and she told me that they were making efforts to find his whereabouts.

“When he visited me in May, he told me that he had a problem, that when he resumed in Bayelsa State Command, somebody was refusing to hand over to him. We have already written to the Inspector General of Police and Commandant General of NSCDC to help us find the whereabouts of our brother who came to serve the nation in Bayelsa. We want to see him alive.”

Authorities of NSCDC in Bayelsa State said they were investigating the circumstances leading to the disappearance of their Deputy Commandant.

Raymond was said to be given a pass to travel to his former command in Enugu to move his belongings to Bayelsa.

The NSCDC spokesman in Bayelsa State, Mr Solomon Ogbere, said the command was working with other sister security agencies to unravel the circumstances behind the disappearance of the Deputy Commandant.

He dispelled insinuations that somebody was refusing to hand over the Deputy Commandant’s portfolio to Mr Raymond Gaadi.

Ogbere said: “He told the State Commandant that he was travelling to Enugu to carry his belongings to Benue State and he was given a pass. He left and up till now, we have  not heard anything from him.”

“We have called the Sector Commander of FRSC to contact his Enugu colleague, because we learnt that there was an accident along that axis for them to help us check the persons that were involved and whether our personnel was among so we can know what to do. His numbers are not going through; we are also very worried.

“He did not travel with any details attached to him. He was not even supposed to travel to Enugu without his car. We have already communicated to the national headquarters and we are doing everything possible to find him. He is a very humble and nice person.”