Police seal off NABTEB office, cart away registration materials for 2019 exams

Policemen attached to the Inspector-General of Police Special Tactical Task Force Squad have sealed off the Abuja office of the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB).

NABTEB Staff, who staged a mild protest to demand the reopening of their office, said the policemen acted on the orders of some faceless individuals laying claim to ownership of the NABTEB premises.

The Chairman of the Non-Academic Staff Union, Paul Ohuimumwen, told reporters that the policemen also arrested two security men attached to the NABTEB office after removing the curtains and air conditioners from the offices.

He said the police officers hanged two padlocks at the gates which prevented the Federal Government workers from accessing the building and performing their duties.

He said the action of the police would affect the conduct of NABTEB examination as “significant materials meant for the conduct of the examination were carted by the officers.”

Ohuimumwen said: “As we speak, candidates cannot access this office for enrollments.

“The policemen cleaned the NABTEB logo from the walls. There are some individuals trying to take over a Federal Government property.

“The policemen look like Special Anti-Robbery Squad officers. But this is not a private property. This is a Federal Government’s establishment.

“You can imagine the kind of injustice we face in this country where an individual believes he is more powerful than the government. We are asking the National Assembly and the Federal Government to wade into this building invasion.”

NABTEB Principal Legal Officer, Shelley Madojemu, said the policemen invaded the office on Sunday and arrested the Director of the office.

She said the examination body was supposed to be registering candidates for this year’s examination.

She said: “The policemen came on Sunday. The director of this zonal office was arrested and was only released days ago.

“This is an examination body and examination activities have been grounded since Monday.

“We are supposed to be registering candidates for admission into tertiary institutions. That has been halted.

“We are calling on the Federal Government not to allow such private invasion.”

The Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, when contacted for response, demanded to know the police unit that carried out the invasion.

Mba, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), did not respond when he was told the officers were alleged to have come from SARS headquarters, Abuja.

Several calls to his telephone lines were not picked. He was yet to respond to a message sent to his phone line as at the time of filing this report.