NSCDC Boss Tasks Commandants on Farmer Protection, Cracks Down on Illegal Miners
The Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr Ahmed Audi, has charged state Commandants of the corps to intensify efforts in strengthening Agro-Rangers operations across their various commands to guarantee food security nationwide.
Audi gave the directive on Friday in Abuja during the second quarter meeting with senior officers of the corps.
He emphasized the importance of revamping the Agro-Rangers unit to provide adequate protection for farmers and agro-investments, in a bid to boost agricultural productivity and reduce conflicts in farming communities.
“You must provide safety and security for farmers and other agro-allied investments in the nation as food security is paramount,” Audi said.
“We have to be seen practically taking up the job of giving farmers protection in order to experience a boost of farming activities,” he added.
The Agro-Rangers unit was created to safeguard farmlands and help mediate in recurring farmer-herder conflicts across the country.
In a related development, the NSCDC boss inaugurated six Zonal Mining Marshal Commanders to intensify the fight against illegal mining activities. The newly appointed officers will collaborate with state command heads under their respective zones to monitor and regulate mining operations.
“We are trying to decentralise mining operations so these officers are to be in charge of mining of various geopolitical zones and are to work closely with state commands under the zones before enforcing arrests,” Audi explained.
He disclosed that President Bola Tinubu, through the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, had urged officers of the corps to rededicate themselves to national service and rise to the growing security challenges.
“We have been doing well but we need to do more to prove to our nation and justify the confidence reposed in us by providing solutions and tackling insecurity,” the NSCDC helmsman said.
“Despite all the challenges faced by the corps, we have tried to catch a niche for ourselves through performance, hence the need for tempo sustenance or more results,” he added.
Expressing sympathy for officers who had paid the ultimate price in the line of duty, Audi said, “We are losing personnel and this is not peculiar to the corps alone but we have to do what we have sworn to do so as to get the job done. I pray for the souls of the departed to rest in peace.”
The Commandant-General also urged personnel to take their role as the lead agency in the protection of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure (CNAI) more seriously, calling for renewed focus on the security challenges confronting the country.
On discipline within the ranks, Audi noted that the corps had begun clamping down on personnel involved in unprofessional conduct.
“Our personnel have been involving themselves in some malpractices and the board has taken drastic measures to treat those elicit behaviors,” he said.
