The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has withdrawn attached officers to a member of the House of Representatives, Shina Abiola Peller, following his sponsoring a bill at the National Assembly seeking the scrapping of the paramilitary agency.
The lawmaker representing Iseyin/ltesiwaju/ Kajola/Iwajowa Federal Constituency in Oyo State in the House of Representatives, had proposed scrapping of NSCDC and the taking up of its responsibilities by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The lawmaker made the proposal to the House via the National Security And Civil Defence Corps (Repeal and Transition) Bill 2022, which passed 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 lawmakers also noted that the mandate of the NSCDC “has now become a duplication of the Nigeria Police Force,” adding, “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,” while citing “waste of scarce resources”, stressing that the annual budget of NSCDC is almost N100 billion.
But in a swift reaction to express its displeasure to the action of the lawmaker, NSCDC immediately withdrew its men attached to him.
In a letter addressed to him by the HOD Administration, Oyo State Command of the NSCDC, DCC Sotiyo Igbalawole, on behalf of the State Commandant, the withdrawal of the personnel was said to have been made on the need for their deployment for urgent national need.
The letter read: “Following of the directive of the Commandant General on the necessity of the deployment of the Command personnel for an urgent national security assignment.
“On behalf of the State Commandant, I hereby withdraw all the personnel attached to you. This is to meet up with urgent national need.
“Any inconvenience this might cause is highly regretted.”
