By Bode Olagoke
Abuja
Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu, has said that the Corps was a grassroots- oriented organisation with the mandate to “defend the defenceless with regards to the fundamental human rights of the citizens as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Gana stated this yesterday when the United Nations Counter Terrorism Committee delegation led by the Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate, New York, Mr Weixiong Chen, paid him a courtesy visit at the Corps National Headquarters, Abuja.
He disclosed that currently, over 400 personnel were protecting the facilities of multinational oil companies in Nigeria, such as Shell, Agip, Mobil, among others.
In the area of capacity building, Gana said over 10,000 personnel of the Corps had been trained on Counter Terrorism in Israel, Pakistan, Italy and also in Nigeria, with the Nigerian Army School of Counter Terrorism and Counter Insurgency, as well as in Jaji.
Worried by the issue of synergy and partnership amongst the various Security Agencies, especially in the areas of Intelligence Gathering and Information Sharing, he said the only way to achieve the common goal of fighting terrorism, “is by strengthening and putting in place a high level collaboration among all stakeholders.”
In the same vein, the leader of the UN delegate, Mr Weixiong Chen, said he and his team were in Nigeria for action, “not because Nigeria is a victim of terrorism due to the insurgency, but to assist in training and to proffer solutions.”
