L-R NSCDC Ahmed Audi, Gov. Dikko Radda of Katsina state during a visit to NSCDC Headquarters, Abuja on Tuesday….photo: NAN
Dr Ahmed Audi, Commandant General (CG) of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), says more personnel will be deployed to strengthen security in Katsina State.
Audi said this when Gov. Dikko Radda of Katsina paid him a courtesy visit at the NSCDC’s Headquarters, Abuja, on Tuesday.
The CG said that on completion of the ongoing NSCDC recruitment, more operatives would be sent to the state to strengthen its security force.
“We understand that Katsina state has been greatly hit by bandits in the last couple of years partly because of its vulnerability as a large state,” he said.
He said the corps was ready to collaborate better with Katsina State Government in the fight against banditry, vandalism and economic sabotage.
He further commended the governor’s proactive security approach in ensuring the safety of citizens of the state.
The NSCDC boss called on state governors whom he referred to as ‘Chief Security Officers of their states’ to step up with more robust approaches.
Audi said that there are reforms in place through proper synergy and collaboration between sister agencies to curb insecurity.
He added that in collaboration with other security agencies; the corps’ special units are ready to curb the menace of insecurity across the country.
He reiterated that the protection of critical national assets and infrastructure of government is sacrosanct to his administration.
“Insecurity in the country took an asymmetric form almost two decades ago and must not be allowed to spread further.
“Strategies are constantly being deployed and assessed to ensure that insecurity and criminality are reduced drastically as we employ kinetic and non-kinetic approaches to achieving result,” CG said.
Earlier, Gov. Radda lamented the inadequate number of security personnel in the state which according to him had impeded the fight again insecurity.
“Katsina State is one of the states that suffer from banditry and other forms of criminalities.
“And I have come to solicit for more cooperation between the state government and the corps and to see how we can collaborate to bring peace to our state,” he said.
According to him, his visit was to solidify the relationship that exists between the corps and his state, adding that the working relationship had been very cordial.
“You have have been very supportive in addressing the issue of insecurity disturbing our people,” he said.
The Katsina governor said that he recently engaged the services of about 1,500 indigenes to serve as community security officers to assist the conventional security agencies in the state.
“I believe with the engagement of the locals in the form of civilian Joint Task Force (JTF), combined with the conventional securities, we will go a long way in combating insecurity and reduce it to the barest minimum,” he said.
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