The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has established a strong link between banditry and illegal mining activities in the country.
The NSCDC Commandant-General (C-G), Ahmed Audi, made this known during his first quarterly meeting with senior officers of the corps at the NSCDC headquarters, Abuja, yesterday.
According to Audi, investigations have revealed that illegal miners collaborate with suspected bandits to execute criminal activities.
“These bad guys collude and connive with illegal miners and they hibernate in our environments to unleash mayhem and cart away our resources.
“These are really issues that we need to face head-on, and so we need to re-strategise on what we have been doing and buckle up,” he stated.
Need for More Tactical and Robust Operations
Audi stressed that the NSCDC must intensify its operations to counter these threats effectively.
“We have been receiving various support from government and so it is expected that we reciprocate by putting in our best.
“Ways to reciprocate is to try to implement our mandate by providing security for critical national assets and infrastructure and also to provide security for Nigerians,” he said.
The C-G urged senior officers to redouble their efforts in the discharge of their duties, highlighting the Federal Government’s commitment to achieving the corps’ mandates.
Strategic Appraisal and Security Responsibilities
He further emphasised the need for a comprehensive evaluation of the corps’ performance and challenges.
“We need to appraise ourselves on what we have been doing, methods implemented, results achieved, and challenges.
“In the long run, we need to discuss strategies on how to cope with challenges so identified and then chart the way forward.”
Audi also underscored the emerging security threats the country faces, ranging from oil theft, vandalism, and farmers/herders clashes to insurgency and terrorism.
“This insurgency has also metamorphosed into terrorism, and terrorism has given birth to kidnapping and hostage-taking,” he noted.
With this call to action, the NSCDC is set to strengthen its security measures, ensuring the protection of Nigeria’s critical assets and infrastructure while tackling the rising security threats posed by illegal mining and banditry.
