The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, has made a passionate plea for the review of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Establishment Act.
Senator Oshiomhole said reviewing the Act has become imperative because the word “civil” in the Agency’s name no longer reflects the daily realities of the threats NSCDC operatives face.
He explained that the idea of a “civil” defence corps implies a force without firearms, noting that this happens at a time “operatives are routinely deployed against heavily armed criminals destroying public assets and engaging in illegal oil bunkering”
Oshiomhole made the call at the National Defence College (NDC), Abuja, while delivering keynote remarks at the launch of a book titled “Nigeria’s Security Dilemma: Rivalries and Implications Vol. 1,” authored by Dr Olusola Odumosu, the Federal Capital Territory FCT Commandant of the NSCDC.
“If the criminals you have to fight carry a sophisticated weapon, your weapon should be nothing less than sophisticated,” he said, adding that the current arrangement leaves operatives “civil” while confronting “hardened criminals.”
Oshiomhole said there should be stronger collaboration among security agencies to enable them to function effectively, insisting that intelligence sharing should not be optional.
He said the Department of State Services (DSS) should work closely with the Police and the Army, providing them with actionable intelligence. Oshiomhole cited his experience as a former state governor, where military escorts provided firepower cover for operatives executing intelligence-led raids against kidnappers, resulting in the arrest of “many” suspects.
The lawmaker, however, regretted that successful arrests were sometimes undermined at the prosecution stage, citing instances where judges granted bail or discharged suspects despite the effort invested in apprehending them. “It’s dangerous if they are found to be discharged,” he said.
Speaking further on interagency rivalry, Oshiomhole insisted that national security must take precedence over partisan or institutional interests.
“When it comes to security, there is no PDP, no APC… we need to understand that,” he said, urging operational heads to ensure that directives given to field commanders are matched with adequate equipment, morale and welfare for personnel.
The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), said he personally reviewed a draft of the book some time ago and noted its treatment of interagency rivalry.
Gen Musa, who was represented by Rear Admiral Olusanya Bankole (retd), explained that steps are being taken to strengthen collaboration among security agencies, stressing that “the stability of Nigeria is more important than the ego of any agency.”
The Deputy Commandant General of the NSCDC in charge of Technical Services, Zakari Ningi, who represented the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Prof. Ahmed Audi, said insecurity has become a global phenomenon affecting every sector of human endeavour. He said Nigeria regrettably cannot be an exception, adding that the timing of the book’s launch could not have been better.
Speaking on the motivation for the book, the author, Dr Olusola Odumosu, said no single security agency possesses all the answers to Nigeria’s security challenges. “No one agency has it all. There is a need for a united front because security is not something one agency can do alone. No one has a monopoly on wisdom,” he said.
Odumosu identified interagency rivalry as the bane of a coordinated national response to security threats.
At the event, Hon. Tayo Odumuyiwa launched the book with a 20-million-naira donation. The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Olatunji Disu, served as Special Guest. He was represented at the event by the FCT Commissioner of Police.
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
