The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has suspended Onoja Samuel, Deputy Superintendent of Corps over alleged sporadic shooting during a confrontation with traders at Kubwa Market in Abuja.

The corps has also ordered an Orderly Room Trial to determine the officer’s level of culpability in the incident, which occurred on October 25, 2026.

The suspension followed Samuel’s arrest by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command over allegations that he fired shots into the air during a confrontation with traders at the market.

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

According to the statement, the Commandant-General of the corps, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, directed the immediate suspension of the officer and the commencement of disciplinary proceedings to establish his culpability in the alleged offence.

“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 statement read.

The corps said Samuel had been stripped of his official responsibilities and relieved of his assignment pending the conclusion of the disciplinary proceedings.

It added that a committee at the NSCDC national headquarters in Abuja would handle the matter, while the outcome of the Orderly Room Trial and the internal disciplinary process would be made public upon conclusion.

The NSCDC reiterated its commitment to protecting lives and maintaining professional standards, stressing that it would not tolerate or shield any officer whose actions endangered public safety or violated its operational guidelines.

Earlier, the FCT Police Command confirmed the officer’s arrest following a distress call reporting that an armed man was firing shots into the air at a market in Kubwa.

A statement by Josephine Adeh, FCT Police Spokesperson, said the suspect had gone to the market with a pistol following reports that some traders had assaulted his wife.

It noted that police operatives attached to the Kubwa Division were deployed to the scene, where they disarmed and arrested the officer.