The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has urged state governments to register their security outfits with the Corps so as to give them legal backing for operation under the Private Guard Companies Act.
Commandant General of the Corps, Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu gave the advice when he presented the Personnel Database of Private Guard Companies PGC in Nigeria and that of Vigilance Group of Nigeria to the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola at the ministry in Abuja.
According to him, some security outfits operated by some state governments like Niger Guards for Niger State, Taraba Marshals for Taraba state have been licensed by the PGC Department of the Corps.
Soji Alabi, a Deputy Commandant of Corps and Media Assistant to the CG who disclosed this in a statement Friday in Abuja said “the preparation of the database is in line with the provisions of Section 10 of the Private Guard Companies Act 1986 which requires data capturing for every Private Guard Company and its members operating in Nigeria”
While noting that the measure is aimed at crime control, professionalism and preventing infiltration of the industry by non-Nigerians, Alabi said the Data Base contains the detail background checks and biometrics on every member of Private Guard Operators and vigilance services in Nigeria.
The statement added that; “Efforts are being made to make copies of the database available to the Office of the National Security Adviser to the President, Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security agencies in Nigeria”.
“The Commandant General used the occasion to inform the Honourable Minister that some security outfits operated by some state governments like Niger Guards for Niger State, Taraba Marshals for Taraba state have been licensed by the PGC Department of the Corps. He urged other states or regional security outfits to also get legal backing for their operations by applying to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for licence”, the statement added.
Receiving the database, the minister commended the NSCDC boss for a job well done and promised to assist where necessary.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Act No.2 of 2003 (as amended in 2007) empowers the PGC Department of the Corps to Licence, Supervise and Monitor the activities of Private Guard Companies in Nigeria. Vanguard
