Dr. Ahmed Audi, Commandant-General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, echoed the voices of many ‘muted’ voices when he said that some personnel of the security services support criminals with information.
The comptroller-general of NSCDC said, “You will agree with me that the nefarious activities of these criminal elements are being strengthened not only by informants within security formations but equally those within the society; hence the need to engage our traditional rulers, religious, community, political and youth leaders in the process of finding a solution to this menace.”
The comptroller general said this at a stakeholders’ summit on the protection of critical national assets and infrastructure at the NAF Conference Centre in Abuja, on Tuesday.
Nigerians have variously expressed anxiety at the precision by which bandits and terrorists counter the operations of security agencies, gaining advantages over them, lending suspicion to insider tip-offs. The recent shut-down of telecommunication services in parts of Nigeria’s northwest is seen as a measure to counter such breaches. This revelation from the NSCDC boss tends to lend credence to such suspicions.
In his reaction to the information released by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, that the federal government spends N60 billion annually on the repair and maintenance of vandalized oil pipelines across the country, the comptroller general emphasized that new strategies were needed to curb the trend.
On his part, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Nigeria’s minister of interior, said that government was pushing more funding to enhance the nation’s infrastructure base.
“The federal government, various states and local governments are currently massively investing in the development and construction of various infrastructure that would support employment generation, poverty reduction and the comfort and wellbeing of the Nigerian people,” he said.
He also stated that government classifies schools and educational institutions as critical national assets and infrastructure, hence the need for renewed efforts at making them safer and more secured environments for teaching and learning.
Abuja Upper Area Court judge faces disciplinary action…
