Workers’ Day: NSCDC promises protection of lives, property in FCT

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has assured residents of the Federal Capital Territory of the continued deployment of its active workforce to ensure the protection of lives, property, and critical infrastructure across the territory.

The Commandant of the FCT Command of the NSCDC, Olusola Odumosu, gave the assurance on Friday at the command headquarters in Abuja while speaking on the occasion of the Workers’ Day celebration.

He also stressed the importance of Private Guard Companies in supporting internal security, noting that ongoing training and strict monitoring would ensure improved service delivery across the sector.

According to a statement signed by the command’s spokesperson, Monica Ojobi, the commandant noted that the provision of adequate security requires multi-stakeholder engagement and effective manpower to achieve positive results.

Odumosu explained that as part of its regulatory mandate, the command has continued to train and retrain private security personnel across the FCT, describing the turnout for such programmes as encouraging.

However, he noted that some operators still fail to comply with licensing requirements and mandatory training exercises.

“It is part of our mandate to train, monitor, supervise and regulate the PGCs, so training is sacrosanct and we do that quarterly.

“We train them in batches, making sure that all private security companies in the FCT are better trained and well prepared to complement the efforts of other security agencies,” he said.

The commandant added that the training is structured to cover different categories within the private security industry, including guards, operational managers, and chief executive officers.

“During stakeholders’ meetings as well, we rub minds on various challenges facing the industry and ways to solve some of the identified problems,” he stated.

According to him, the training modules include intelligence gathering, self-defence, report writing, and other operational strategies designed to improve effectiveness in security operations.

The commandant, however, expressed concern over certain operational challenges affecting the command, including a shortage of operational vehicles, motorcycles, security gadgets, and some health-related constraints among personnel.

He stated that despite these challenges, the command has remained committed to its mandate.

“We are appealing for more vehicles and motorcycles for patrols to enable us to carry out more regular and effective surveillance of the city centre and its suburbs,” he said.

The commandant explained that the vast nature of the FCT makes mobility a significant challenge, which is sometimes exploited by criminal elements.

“That is one of the things we are contending with, as Abuja is very big and in most cases, because these criminals understand these challenges, they take advantage of our setbacks.

“They know that once we patrol a particular area at a particular hour, it is not likely that we will be back there almost immediately or in the next hour because that same vehicle is used to monitor other areas,” he stated.

He further noted that security deployment across multiple locations often strains available resources.

“The same vehicle you are using to patrol the central area is the same one you will take to Airport Road and probably the same one that will go to the Kuje area of the territory,” he explained.

Odumosu also called for improved communication infrastructure, particularly reliable radio communication systems, to support operations in areas with poor network coverage.

“There are some places or times we go into the bushes in the course of our surveillance of critical infrastructure and will need backups, but cannot communicate,” he said.

On the occasion of Workers’ Day, the commandant commended officers and men of the FCT command for their dedication and professionalism in ensuring safety across the territory.

He further pledged continued support for personnel welfare and capacity building, promising to sustain an enabling environment for improved performance.

The NSCDC is responsible for protecting lives, property, and critical infrastructure in Nigeria, working alongside other security agencies and licensed private guard companies.

In the FCT, where security demands are heightened due to its status as the nation’s capital, the corps plays a key role in surveillance, crime prevention, and regulation of private security operators.