By Sunday Attah
Nigeria has gone through a lot in the last decade in terms of maintaining peace and security for citizens within its vast lands made up of 36 states and 774 local governments.
In the last decade, Nigeria has been confronted with threatening security challenges that included terrorism, insurgency, banditry, communal clashes, economic crimes, pipeline vandalisation, theft of crude oil among many others.
With the various security agencies each focusing on its core mandate, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) registered its relevance in collaborating to achieve peace and security for the nation through many initiatives that included, investigations, surveillance, safeguarding and protecting of national assets as well other civil interventions.
As observed by the former National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Mungono (rtd), “the survival and security of every nation and the quality of life of its citizens largely depend on the functionality of its critical national assets and infrastructure and any attack on these assets and infrastructure will have adverse effect on national security.”
This highlights why the role of the NSCDC has become very relevant in the overall equation for maintaining peace and order.
National assets form the infrastructure for running the economy and engaging the citizenry in productive ventures as well as foreign exchange earner.
With these enormous roles, it is expected that the National Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) would be well equipped with adequate and qualified personnel to carry out its statutory mandate more so as it is the lead agency in the protection of critical national assets and infrastructure.
Over the years, the corps has engaged pipeline oil vandals, oil thieves, illegal oil refinery operators, oil bunkerers and others in the course of safeguarding national assets.
But the corps which has done very well since the coming of the current Commander General, Dr. Ahmed Audi,
still has lots of grounds to cover to achieve its target and these has to do mainly with spreading its tentacles to achieve results.
In the year 2022, the NSCDC proposed a budget of N110 billion to cater for both capital and recurrent expenditure from which it is required to carry out it’s statutory functions that include protection of pipelines from vandalism, crisis resolutions and providing adequate security.
With 6 directorates, 15 Zonal Commands, 6 training colleges, and many capital projects to embark on and the much required for operations, funding for the agency is grossly inadequate and more needs to be done.
The CG going by his accomplishments since his appointment two years ago, has shown passion and commitment in repositioning the agency which emphasises the need for the corps to be fully funded for him to undertake the tasks ahead similarly to what a sister agency, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, is doing under the command of Rtd Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa.
The NSCDC boss has done very well within the two years he has been in office with the apprehension of hundreds of pipeline vandals, arrests of oil bunkerers, discovery of illegal refineries and many others.
Within the period, over 870 suspects have been arrested by men and officers of the NSCDC, out of which 580 have been convicted.
Similarly, pipeline vandalisation has reduced while oil bunkering syndicates and illegal refineries have been uncovered.
All these did not come about by accident but through the effective leadership of Dr. Audi who is more than determined to make both the citizens and state property safe.
This, he achieved by introducing reforms in all the areas of operations of the agency which include establishment of squads trained to tackle security challenges of kidnapping and abduction of school children for ransom, as well as prioritising training across all the state commands in drills, arm and weapon handling, counter terrorism surveillance and intelligence gathering.
The set up of the CG’S Special Intelligence Squad (CGSIS) with the mandate to carry out overt and covert intelligence operations to nip crime and criminal activities in the bud.
But the corps needs more personnel and equipment to cover Nigeria’s vast ungoverned spaces and to subdue the criminals who are also armed.
It needs sophisticated weapons, operational vehicles, surveillance and intelligence driven equipment, gun boats, and other communication gadgets.
All these require funding but due to the central role being played by Dr. Audi and his staff, it would make economic sense for the CG to be supported by the current administration which is serious about revamping the country’s economy.
Sunday Attah is a writer and public affairs commentator, writes from Abuja Nigeria.
