Security operatives attached to the legislator representing the lseyin/ltesiwaju/ Kajola/lwajowa Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Shina Peller, have been withdrawn by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Commandant-General, Ahmed Audi.
Audi in a letter to the legislator dated February 2, 2021 indicated that the statement followed the directive of the Commandant General on the necessity of the deployment of the Command personnel for an urgent National security assignment.
According to reports, the withdrawal of the personnel followed the introduction of a bill by Hon. Peller seeking to scrap the Corps and merge it with the Nigeria Police Force.
The lawmaker proposed the bill to the House via the National Security And Civil Defence Corps (Repeal and Transition) Bill 2022, which passed the first reading on Tuesday.
The bill seeks to repeal the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (Amendment) Act 2007, establish a transition management committee to superintend over the NSCDC, develop regulations and implement procedures for the transfer of assets and personnel of the corps to the Nigeria Police Force, and other related matters.
In the bill, Peller noted that “fragmentation of security resources across multiple competing agencies is counterproductive.”
The lawmaker also noted that the mandate of the NSCDC “has now become a duplication of the Nigeria Police Force,” adding that this has led to avoidable conflicts.
Peller stated, “Every single function of the NSCDC can be done or is being done by the Nigeria Police Force,” stressing that the annual budget of the NSCDC is almost N100 billion.
“The assets and personnel of the NSCDC will be absorbed by the Nigeria Police. So, no loss of jobs,” he noted.
The NSCDC, which is a voluntary organisation, was converted to a national security outfit by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.
