NSCDC Denies Allegation of Senators Receiving VIP Protection

Due to serious staffing shortages, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has been compelled to reject at least five serving senators in response to an enormous increase in demand for private protection services.

This disclosure was made two weeks after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered on November 26 that 11,566 police officers be removed from private guard assignments in order to reallocate security personnel to address the growing level of national insecurity.

The agency has been overburdened, according to an anonymous NSCDC officer, with demands for private protection having more than doubled since the presidential directive.

“We are under strain because of the increase in VIP demands for protection. The volume of demands has forced us to reject five senators. The officer told THE WHISTLER, “We just do not have the manpower to satisfy everyone, and the situation is overwhelming.”

According to its Act, the NSCDC’s primary responsibilities include community safety and disaster management, as well as the security of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure (CNAI), which includes telecommunications sites, power plants, and oil pipelines.

“Every day, new applications come in from politicians, businessmen, and even community leaders,” the officer emphasized, emphasizing that the Corps cannot neglect this fundamental responsibility. However, we continue to prioritize important assets and national infrastructure. Our fundamental mandate cannot be abandoned.

In order to address increased insecurity, particularly recent high-profile attacks and kidnappings of kids, President Tinubu declared a national security emergency, which included the removal of police escorts.

According to Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), 11,566 police officers were relieved of their VIP responsibilities.

In order to improve frontline policing, it is anticipated that these withdrew officers will receive crash retraining before being deployed right away to unstable areas.

The President also commanded the use of NYSC camps as training facilities and ordered the huge recruitment of an extra 20,000 police officers, bringing the total to 50,000.

In essence, the NSCDC and authorized private security companies now bear the responsibility for private protection. Even though the NSCDC has a dedicated VIP Protection Unit, there appears to be a serious manpower shortage, which could cause a delay in the full rollout of services to satisfy the increased demand.