The Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, on Friday urged the National Assembly to grant the corps full constitutional recognition, thereby further reinforcing its original mandate to protect lives, property, and the country’s critical assets and infrastructure.
While presenting a position paper to the House of Representatives Constitution Review Committee in Akure, the Ondo State capital, Audi appealed for the need for a dedicated constitutional provision that clearly defines the roles of the NSCDC.
According to the Commandant-General, such constitutional backing would lay to rest repeated clamouring and agitation for a merger of the corps with another agency, while improving its efficiency.
Audi, who Commandant Hammed Abodunrin represented, traced the origin of the corps to the Nigerian Civil War era, when it emerged as a voluntary quasi-military organisation to assist the civil populace by providing security education, rescuing the vulnerable, digging trenches, and safeguarding critical national assets while the battle lasted.
Discussing the legal support for the security agency, the Commandant-General stated that the National Assembly passed an act in 2003 to establish it as a full-fledged federal security agency, adding that additional responsibilities were also assigned through various national policies, including the National Security Strategy (NSS) of 2019 and the recently signed National Protection Policy and Strategy for Critical National Assets and Infrastructure (NPPS-CNAI) of 2024 by President Bola Tinubu.
The Commandant-General commended the National Assembly for granting the NSCDC the authority to carry arms in 2007 and the Nigerian Army for supplying the first 5,000 units of arms and ammunition to the corps, as well as providing free training to its personnel.
“It is noteworthy that an organisation that started with only 12,512 employees today is growing to about 70,000 officers and men. It is a thing of joy that, with your singular worthy action, the NSCDC today is a registered member of the International Civil Defence Organisation (ICDO) headquartered in Geneva,” he said.
The NSCDC boss, however, lamented that Section 214 of the 1999 Constitution, which states that there shall be only one police force in the country, has been misinterpreted over the years, leading to an unhealthy relationship between the corps and the police force.
He added that the appointment of a retired police officer as acting commandant of the corps at inception to mentor the personnel also contributed to a misunderstanding of the role of the NSCDC.
He said, “This led to unintended consequences of vigorous and repeated attempts of integration instead of collaboration, as the expected mentees are subsequently being treated as competitors. It is no longer news that NSCDC personnel are repeatedly harassed, brutalised, arrested, detained, and even killed for doing what is always referred to as constitutionally guaranteed exclusive police jobs.
“Sometimes, NSCDC personnel and their commanders were ordered to produce the Act that empowers them to carry out security and safety assignments. Even as brothers and sisters that share the same goal of protecting lives and property, things always change when it comes to the issue of the constitution.”
Audi told the House of Representatives Committee that over the years, the NSCDC has made significant progress, such as securing the conviction of thousands of criminals, including vandals; recommending licences for Private Guard Companies (PGCs) after proper monitoring, training, and inspections; resolving over 120,000 conflicts that could have led to further congestion caused by awaiting trial; destroying hundreds of illegal refineries and mining sites, as well as prosecuting the operators; conducting rescue operations during national emergencies; and participating in various joint operations, particularly with the military.
