In commemoration of year 2022 International Civil Defense Day (ICDO) and celebration of his first year in office, Commandant General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Ahmed Audi, said he has restored the lost glory through better welfare for the staff, among others.

Speaking Tuesday in Abuja, Audi said the reforms he introduced were inline with his vision to reposition and oil the operational machinery of the corps for improved performances.

The NSCDC boss said he embarked on a mission to reorganize and revolutionise the training apparatus of the corps in order to sharpen the skills and competencies of the personnel to effectively cope with the challenges of dangerous developments of insecurity in the country occasioned by the activities of bandits.

He said his supervision has continued to make conscious and concerted efforts to focus on strengthening the capacity and manpower needs of the corps in order to position the personnel to effectively execute its mandate and tackle the challenge of insecurity in the country. This he has done by embarking on aggressive training and retraining of personnel while making staff welfare, top priority.

Listing his achievements in the last 365 days, the NSCDC said; “Owing to the critical nature of these assets and infrastructure to national security and socio-economic development, adequate security is now being emplaced to safeguard the Country’s Critical National Assets and Infrastructure by this Corps. In this connection, the newly established Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad has been taking proactive and pragmatic steps through discrete investigation and intelligence gathering to track down these criminal elements to avert and checkmate their criminal intentions. This Squad also provides back-up to the States’ Special Forces and Anti-Vandal Squad in curtailing crime and criminality.

“In this connection, the peace and conflict resolution unit of the corps has been playing critical roles by making tremendous efforts to resolve thousands of disputes between farmers and herders across the country to avert what could have snowballed into violent confrontations through the use (instrument) of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Mechanism.

“In response to the Safe School Initiative of the Federal Government, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps did a vulnerability survey of schools in Nigeria and prepared a framework of proactive security measures to be taken towards addressing the dangerous trend of attack on schools in the country.

“The Corps has also continued to enjoy robust collaboration and synergy with the UNDP, among other international bodies for the training and retraining of operatives of the Department for efficient and effective service delivery. It is also instructive to inform this gathering that the Corps has produced thousands of Chartered Mediators who have been involved in various cases of mediation across the Country.

“As a step in this direction, the Special Female Squad have been mounting surveillance in and around schools while at the same time making out time to sensitize staff and students by giving them security safety tips and educating them on the need for security consciousness and how and why they need to alert Security Agencies upon discovery of strange faces and strange movements within the school environment.

“The Squad has also continued to build robust relationships with local communities and other relevant Stakeholders while focusing attention on surveillance and monitoring of the school environment to checkmate incidents of violent attacks and kidnapping.

“The Corps has recorded and continues to record string of successes in its anti-vandalization drive, protection of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure, protection of farmers and farmlands, supervision and licensing of Private Guard Companies, physical security at mining sites, disaster management, mitigation and control etc. Several arrests have also been effected in the course of discharging our mandate.

“In the last six months, the Corps has arrested about 461 suspects for various offences bordering; vandalization and attacks on Critical National Assets and Infrastructure (CNAI), cattle rustling, banditry, attacks on farmers and farmlands, illegal mining, etc.

“The corps has recorded and continues to record string of successes in its anti-vandalization drive, protection of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure, protection of farmers and farmlands, supervision and licensing of Private Guard Companies, physical security at mining sites, disaster management, mitigation and control etc. Several arrests have also been effected in the course of discharging our mandate.

“In the last six months, the Corps has arrested about 461 suspects for various offences bordering; vandalization and attacks on Critical National Assets and Infrastructure (CNAI), cattle rustling, banditry, attacks on farmers and farmlands, illegal mining.”

Audi therefore urged NSCDC personnel to be patriotic and dedicated to duty on attaining the core mandates of the corps.

The Minster of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, represented by his Special Assistant on Innovation/ Delivery, Ademola Adeyinka, thanked the NSCDC boss for his effort in safeguarding national assets.

He said NSCDC has come to stay despite criticism and therefore urged the corps to step up their game in sensitizing the public on how to protect themselves.