By Jibrin Baba Ndace
Abuja
Operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have recovered N1, 547,000,000 from over 600 persons arrested for embarking on illegal recruitment activities over the years.
The Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC, Mr. Emmanuel Okeh, disclosed this at a Forum of Spokespersons of Security and Response Agencies (FOSSRA), and the media interactive parley convened by I-Nigerian Initiative yesterday in Abuja.
He also said 380 vandals from across the country were arrested between January and July this year.
The latest fraudster was one Michael Ogun from Edo state who was arrested in a suburb of Abuja recently with N495 million and other foreign currencies found in various bank accounts.
While disclosing that over N900 million has been refunded to victims, he advised Nigerians seeking employment with the NSCDC to be wary of those peddling fake employment websites and bank accounts as the Corps do not invite applications through the internet and does not demand payment for employment forms.
Okeh said: “Year 2014 has witnessed renewed vigour in our sustained war against crime and other forms of criminality, leading to arrests of several criminal elements. Among those arrested are vandals/illegal bunkerers and other criminal elements. Several trucks, jerry cans, barges, boats alongside other tools used by these criminal elements were equally impounded”.
Of the number arrested, 10 have already been convicted by different courts of law, while 364 others were undergoing prosecution by either the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Police or NSCDC officers.
Giving a further breakdown, Okeh said 293 people were arrested for vandalising oil pipelines and gas installations while the remaining 87 were apprehended for destroying or stealing electricity, telecommuni-cation and railway infrastructure.
He lamented the light convictions that some of the vandals were given and blamed it on available legal lacuna in the form of discretion given to law enforcement agents to either rely on the Legal/Penal Code or the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
In the same vein, the Corps registered 61 private security companies within the period under review while 132 others are in different stages of processing. Seventy-eight of them were sealed off for contravention and a sum of N180 million was generated from issuance or renewal of licences.
Speaking on the efforts being made to counter terrorism, Okeh said the Corps was strengthening surveillance and intelligence gathering mechanism, staff training and retraining and purchase of necessary equipment, adding that NSCDC officers are actively involved with other security agencies in insurgency hotspots.
Fifteen thousand personnel of the Corps have been trained by the Nigerian Army on counter-terrorism and weapons handling in addition to establishing emergency response units at air and sea ports.
The NSCDC has so far established three training institutions in Abuja on information and communication technology, in Katsina for disaster management and peace studies and in Abeokuta for security management.
In appreciation of the professionalism being displayed by the Corps personnel in security duties, the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Security Agency (NIMASA) has secured the services of 200 NSCDC personnel in securing the nation’s maritime territory.
Since the Corps was handed the responsibility of registering and regulating the activities of private security companies in the country, it has taken steps to transform the entities into the third tier security system.
Thus, between January and July 2014, 61 companies were licensed; 132 others are awaiting license; 78 companies were sealed for infractions; 22 of them were reopened and the licenses of 218 were renewed.
Speaking earlier, in her welcome address, National Coordinator of the I-Nigerian Initiative, Ms Ada Stella Apiafi, advised security agencies to be open and transparent when dealing with the media as a way of building mutual trust in the discharge of their duties.
