NSCDC Officials Warned Against Compromising National Security

 Michael Olugbode in Abuja

 The Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Ahmed Audi, in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in order to avoid any action that could jeopardise the internal security of the nation, has read riot act to the NSCDC officers deployed to all Fertilizer Blending Plants in the country.

The commandant-general stated this in his goodwill message in an ongoing three-day programme organised by the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), a Directorate under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the programme was organised for the NSCDC personnel drawn from the Chemical, Biological Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive Unit (CBRNE) of the Corps.

Audi, who was represented by the Head of the CBRNE Unit, Assistant Commandant General Abdulkadir Sulu, admonished the officers to avoid any action that could lead to compromise as such could negatively impact the public trust and confidence in NSCDC.

He said: “It is very imperative to relay the message of the Commandant-General to you (officers) participating in this training that there should be no room for compromise as those fertilizers must not get into wrong hands.”

He further warned the operatives on the need to have zero tolerance for economic sabotage as any officer caught in such act would be dismissed and prosecuted according to the extant laws of the federation even as he charged them to be reputable ambassadors of the Corps.

In his remarks, the National Coordinator of the NCTC, Major General Adamu Laka, from the Directorate of the National Counter Terrorism Centre stated that the training is part of the move to enhance the commitment of the NSCDC to safety, security and operational excellence within the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative, adding that the raison d’etre of such training is to equip the participants with the necessary knowledge and skills needed to effectively discharged their duties.

He said: “Fertilizer Blending Plants are very critical to the nation, as they promote agricultural productivity which is highly integral to the national security but also a sensitive task that requires intelligence and security measures due to the presence of chemical and material components and the main thrust of your duties is to ensure that these materials do not fall into the hands of non-state actors and criminal elements.”