Nigeria's security agencies urged to drop rivalry and reconsider NSCDC Act

Senator Adams Oshiomhole, chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, called for a review of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Establishment Act, arguing that the term “civil” no longer reflects the reality of armed confrontations. He said, “If the criminals you have to fight carry a sophisticated weapon, you … should be nothing less than sophisticated,” and urged that the Corps be equipped accordingly.

At the launch of Dr. Olusola Odumosu’s book “Nigeria’s Security Dilemma: Rivalries and Implications, Vol. 1,” the NSCDC FCT Commandant warned that inter‑agency rivalry and the lack of mandatory intelligence sharing among the Department of State Services, police and the military are undermining the country’s response to insecurity. He echoed Oshiomhole’s plea that “when it comes to security, there is no PDP, no APC” and highlighted ongoing efforts by the defence ministry to improve collaboration, noting that “the stability of Nigeria is more important than the ego of any agency.”