Nigeria Security And Civil defence Corps ( NSDC )

About NSCDC is a para-military agency of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that is commissioned to provide measures against threat and any form of attack or disaster against the nation and its citizenry.

The corps is statutorily empowered by lay Act No. 2 of 2003 and amended by Act 6 of 4th June 2007. The Corps is empowered to institute legal proceedings by or in then and of the Attorney General of the Federation in accordance with the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria against any person or persons suspected to have committed an offence, maintain an armed squad in order to bear fire arms among others to strengthen the corps in the discharge of its statutory duties.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps was first introduced in May 1967 during the Nigerian Civil War within the then Federal Capital Territory of Lagos for the purpose of sensitization and protection of the civil populace. It was then known as Lagos Civil Defence Committee.

It later metamorphosed into the present day Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in 1970. On inception, the Corps had the objective of carrying out some educational and enlightenment campaigns in and around the Federal Capital of Lagos to sensitize members of the civil populace on enemy attacks and how to save themselves from danger as most Nigerians living in and around Lagos territory then had little or no knowledge about war and its implications. Members of the Committee deemed it important to educate through electronic and print media on how to guide themselves during air raids, bomb attacks, identify bombs and how to dive into trenches during bomb blast.

In 1984, the Corps was transformed into a National security outfit and in 1988, there was a major re-structuring of the Corps that led to the establishment of Commands throughout the Federation, including Abuja, and the addition of special functions by the Federal Government.On 28th June 2003, an Act to give statutory backing to the NSCDC passed by the National Assembly was signed into law by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, the former president and Commander in chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria.Affiliation with International Organization.

The enactment of Civil Defence Act 2003 automatically changed the status of the Corps in the International Civil Defence Organization from the previous observer status to full membership status.The Federal Government also in appreciation of the efforts of the corps and recognition of the roles of the International body considered subscribing for membership of the International Civil Defence organization (ICDO) in Geneva Switzerland for the year 2005 and became the 66th member state in the world.The promulgation of the Act known as NSCDC Act no. 2 of 2003 makes the Corps a full fledged para-military outfit of the government under the then Federal Ministry of internal Affairs, now Ministry of interior. And by this enactment the Corps now has some statutory responsibilities to perform.

The corps is committed to orderliness and safety on our path and other public places where there are large turn-out/ concentration of the civil populace.The challenges before the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps are enormous. There is need for us to focus on long term strategy on grass-root intelligence Security and Civil Defence Operation.There are areas calling for urgent attention:

i. There is need to diligently assess new and emerging threat to national security.

ii. There is need to develop our ability to initiate pro-active measures in terms of intelligent networking and information gathering both as short term and long term projections.

iii. There is need to constantly monitor and upgrade existing security mechanisms to commensurate with the level of identified threats.

iv. Adoption of salient measures for the generation of revenue to government through the licensing, supervision and monitoring of private guard companies in the country.

Our focus principal focus shall being the area of broad based information networking monitoring of movement of persons; vandalism of all types; execution of all assignments as may be directed by the parent ministry in the interest of government such as monitoring and supervision of private guard companies.

The Corps shall also focus on complete rescue operations, crisis managements and complimentary security roles with security outfits such as the SSS, NIA, NPF, the Army, Immigrations, prisons service, as indicated in the gazette or as assigned by government from time to time.

A hierarchical structure of command and control was designed with the Commandant-General as the Head.There are four Deputy Commandants-General in charge of Directorates namely; Administration, Operations, Technical and Intelligence.

They are being assisted by Assistant Commandant-General. For Administrative convenience, the Corps is divided into eight zones each with a number of State Commands with Assistant Commandant-General coordinates the activities of the state commands within the Zone, and is assisted by a Commands within the Zone, and is assisted by a commandant and other ranking officers.