NSCDC Seeks Public Support To Protect FCT Infrastructure, Warns Vandals, Illegal Private Guards
The NSCDC urges FCT residents to help protect public infrastructure and warns vandals and unlicensed private security operators of enforcement.
The NSCDC urges FCT residents to help protect public infrastructure and warns vandals and unlicensed private security operators of enforcement.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has intensified its campaign against the vandalism of critical national infrastructure, calling on residents to take ownership of public assets and provide timely intelligence to security agencies.
FCT Commandant of the Corps, Dr. Olusola Odumosu, made the appeal in Abuja on Monday, warning that the growing menace of infrastructure vandalism poses a serious threat to national development and could undermine the Federal Government’s ongoing investments in roads, public utilities and other critical facilities across the capital city.
Odumosu said the extensive infrastructural upgrades being undertaken by the Federal Government represent dividends of democracy that require collective protection by both security agencies and members of the public.
According to him, safeguarding public infrastructure should not be left to the NSCDC alone, stressing that every resident has a civic responsibility to protect facilities that ultimately serve the public.
“Security operations are intelligence-driven. We rely heavily on credible information from members of the public. Many people turn a blind eye whenever acts of vandalism are committed around them. That is wrong. It is your responsibility to be proactive by reporting such crimes promptly through our emergency hotlines,” he said.
He urged residents to report suspicious activities through the Command’s dedicated telephone lines, 08159066244 and 09166229882.
The Commandant reaffirmed the Corps’ statutory responsibility as the lead agency for the protection of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure (CNAI), assuring residents that the Command remains on constant alert to respond swiftly to actionable intelligence.
“We cannot allow criminal elements to sabotage government efforts aimed at improving the welfare of residents of the FCT,” he said.
Declaring that the nation’s capital would no longer be a safe haven for vandals, Odumosu warned perpetrators to abandon their criminal activities or face prosecution.
“We are maintaining round-the-clock surveillance across the territory, and anyone apprehended for vandalising public infrastructure will be prosecuted in accordance with the law,” he stated.
The Commandant also turned his attention to operators of Private Guard Companies (PGCs), urging them to complement the Corps’ efforts by providing credible intelligence that could aid the protection of critical facilities.
He warned that the Command would soon commence enforcement against private security firms operating with fake documentation, invalid licences or expired operational permits.
Odumosu expressed concern over the non-compliance of some operators with the regulations governing the private security industry, saying the Command would no longer tolerate violations.
“Any private security company operating in the FCT without a valid licence is doing so at its own risk. Our enforcement team will soon catch up with such operators,” he warned.
He disclosed that surveillance and profiling of private guard companies are currently ongoing across the FCT, adding that the Command is compiling the names of defaulting firms ahead of full-scale enforcement.
The NSCDC boss advised operators with expired licences or questionable documentation to regularise their status with the FCT Command immediately or risk arrest and the sealing of their companies.
The renewed warning comes amid increasing concerns over the destruction and theft of public infrastructure across parts of Nigeria, where vandals frequently target electricity installations, telecommunications equipment, rail facilities, pipelines and other strategic assets, causing huge economic losses and disrupting essential services. The NSCDC has, in recent years, intensified nationwide operations to curb such activities as part of efforts to safeguard critical national infrastructure.
