Insecurity: NSCDC Boss Tasks Private Security Operators In Nigeria

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Featured, Latest Headlines, News, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Sunday, September 27th, 2020

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – As Nigeria continues to battle the alarming spate of insecurity currently ravaging parts of the nation, the Commandant General (C-G) of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mohammadu Gana Abdullahi, has challenged the Association of licensed private security operators in the country to join hands with the conventional agencies in bracing up to the challenge as major stakeholders.

He spoke as the special guest of honour during the commencement of the first Nigeria’s nationwide multi- stakeholders forum on private security governance, (PSG) organized by a non-governmental organization, African Law foundation (AFRILAW), and Geneva Centre for security Sector governance, (DCAF), Switzerland, which began weekend with South – East geo political zone of Nigeria, in Enugu.

The NSCDC boss, who was represented at the event by the Enugu state Commandant of the security agency, Evaristus Obiyo, said “all of us are aware that our beloved country is today bedeviled with multiple Security challenges , which includes but, not limited to Terrorism, Kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery, Book Haram, menace, trafficking in persons, and rape.

He said “I want to urge us as major stakeholders to look inwards to proffer solutions to these teething problems with a view to getting all hands-on deck as insecurity anywhere, is insecurity everywhere.

While applauding AFRILAW for the initiative, Abdullahi, noted that South- East Nigeria, no doubt, has its own fair share of the security challenges, “hence this event holding in Enugu is a welcome development. I, therefore, call on all the stakeholders to brace up this unfriendly development that is threatening human existence.

In his speech, at the event chaired by retired Major General Orji, Founder and Chief Executive officer (CEO), of AFRILAW, Barrister Okereke Chinwike, hinted that the programme was also packaged in partnership with the PSG observatory, NSCDC, and Association of Licensed private security practitioners of Nigeria (ALPSPN), and is part of activities under the ‘Strengthening private security regulation and oversight in Nigeria project’ being implemented by his organization with some partners.

According to him, the programme will be held in all the six geo political zones of the country, after its commencement in South- East zone, adding that the aim of the forum is to raise awareness as well discuss challenges and opportunities presented by private security sector and ways to strengthen its governance in a multi stakeholders approach in Nigeria.

Okereke, explained that the Strengthening private security regulation and oversight in Nigeria is a follow up action from the “Baseline study on private security governance in Nigeria conducted by AFRILAW, under the platform of PSG observatory in partnership with DCAF and NSCDC from 2018- 2019,” stressing that the goal of the study was to critically review the existing legal and regulatory frameworks governing private security companies operations in the country.

He added that the 101 pages baseline study document which was officially presented during the event by professor (Mrs) Felicia Anyogu, of the Nnamdi Azikiwe university, Awka, Anambra state, is equally designed to assess the standards of operation of the private security outfits, their challenges, and make recommendations for legal and policy reform as well as improvement.

The AFRILAW chief, disclosed that the document was launched with the validation of the private security governance in Nigeria advocacy strategy and implementation framework in Abuja in July 2019.

National president of ALPSPM, who was represented by Imo state chairman, and retire Commissioner of police, Mr. Nickolas Nkemgeme, had decried the outrageous requirements, including payment of 500,000 (five hundred thousand naira) for the establishment of private security outfit in Nigeria.

He said the association has litany of challenges in Nigeria, stressing that the nation’s environment has been very unfriendly with its members, including issues of high taxation, calling on the National Assembly to hasten action in the proposed PSG bill before it, as they strongly believe that it will address the problems when passed into law.

Highlights of the forum which witnessed various paper presentations, and was graced by security experts, both serving and retired from South- East Nigeria, as well as other key stakeholders in the sector, was the unveiling of the baseline study report via a slide by professor Anyogu.