The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Lagos State has sealed more than 50 private security companies operating illegally in the state.
The NSDDC commandant, Lagos State, Clement Adesuyi, spoke at a one-day security stakeholders’ forum, which the corps and Private Guard
Companies organised on Thursday in Lagos.
The participants included the Army, Immigration, State Security
Service, the Prisons and private security companies.
Adesuyi said: “In the last few months, we have succeeded in sealing
off well over 50 private security companies operating illegally in
Lagos State. We have written to all the various agencies patronising
them to stop.”
He explained that the present forum was organized to re-examine the
contributions of private guard companies to the nation’s economy.
Adesuyi added that the forum also afforded the NSCDC an opportunity to remind the participants that NSCDC was the sole agency responsible for regulating the activities of the companies.
The commandant said that collaboration, partnership and synergy were
central to effective regulation, which ensured the maintenance of
sanity and standards in the PGCs.
The Commandant-General of the NSCDC, Dr. Ade Abolurin, said that the
personnel of the PGCs were better placed to obtain security
information at the grassroots.
The commandant urged private security practitioners and operatives to
regard themselves as part of the national security set up.
Abolurin was represented by Lugard Osemwengie, Assistant
Commandant-General, Zone A.
The Commandant, 9 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Ikeja, Brigadier General
Adeniyi Oyebade, noted that no security agency could handle the
insecurity challenges facing the nation alone.
Oyebade described the forum as a welcome development, saying that such forums would assist in the assessment of security situation at all levels.
The Lagos State Director of the SSS, Ben Olaye, said that the service
would start to screen prospective employees, whether in the government or private sector, to prevent criminals coming into the system.
David Akhimien, President, Private Security Guard Practitioners, urged the NSCDC not to allow any unregistered security company to operate.
Akhimien said that this was necessary as many companies and
individuals were employing quacks, a development which he described as dangerous to security.