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Ex-NSCDC boss warns FG against merging corps with police
Desmond Agu, a retired Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has cautioned against proposals to merge the NSCDC with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), warning that it could exacerbate the country’s security challenges.
Agu, who served as a commandant in six states until his retirement, urged the Federal Government to reject any attempts to lobby for such a merger. He argued that those advocating for the merger were unaware of the NSCDC’s unique role as a specialized security entity.
He emphasized that the current security challenges in Nigeria require coordinated and diverse approaches to address them effectively, and the NSCDC has been playing a significant role in filling some of the gaps.
Agu highlighted the NSCDC’s specialized responsibilities, such as protecting critical national infrastructures and monitoring the activities of private security companies, which would be compromised by a merger with the police force.
He recalled that the Federal Government’s white paper on the Orosonya Report acknowledged the NSCDC’s special functions and recommended strengthening the corps to enhance its performance as an independent entity.
Agu stated, “We must reject the idea of merging the NSCDC with the Nigeria Police Force because it will worsen the security challenges in the country. The NSCDC was created by the Constitution to address unique and critical security challenges, primarily affecting the national economy. The corps is tasked with protecting critical security infrastructures such as oil pipelines, electrical installations, among others.”
He continued, “Any attempt to merge NSCDC with the police will dilute these crucial roles and impede the ongoing recovery of the national economy. Those advocating for this idea should abandon it because it will not benefit the country. Since its inception, NSCDC has been professionally discharging its responsibilities, earning public confidence in its activities. What the corps needs is increased funding to continue performing its critical functions, not a merger.”
The Chartered Institute of Directors Nigeria (CIoD Nigeria) has announced the appointment and resumption of Dr. Taiwo Nolas-Alausa as its new Director General/Chief Executive Officer.Dr. Nolas-Alausa succeeds Mr. Bamidele Alimi, who completed his second and final four-year term as the DG/CEO of the Institute on 31 July,2025.
He is aLearning and Development Consultant with over 22 years of leadership experience across Africa.
Dr. Nolas-Alausa brings to CIoD Nigeria a dynamic blend of strategic insight, communication expertise, and a deep commitment to institutional growth and capacity building.
The President and Chairman of the Governing Council, CIoD Nigeria, Otunba Adetunji Oyebanji, said: “On behalf of the Governing Council of the Chartered Institute of Directors Nigeria, I am pleased to officially welcome Dr. Taiwo Nolas-Alausa as the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Institute.
News
LASG declares 176 estates illegal for lacking approved layouts
Permanent Secretary, Office of Physical Planning, Oluwole Sotire, disclosed that some of the identified illegal estates include Adron Homes, Elerangbe; Aina Gold Estate, Okun-Folu; Diamond Estate, Eputu; Prime Water View Garden, Ikate-Elegushi, and Royal View Estate, Ikota, among others.
Lagos State Government has declared 176 estates at the Eti-Osa, Ajah, Ibeju-Lekki, and Epe axis of the state illegal.
Permanent Secretary, Office of Physical Planning, Oluwole Sotire, disclosed that some of the identified illegal estates include Adron Homes, Elerangbe; Aina Gold Estate, Okun-Folu; Diamond Estate, Eputu; Prime Water View Garden, Ikate-Elegushi, and Royal View Estate, Ikota, among others.
He added that the illegal estates compromised the sustainable development ethos and the T.H.E.M.E.S+ agenda of the government by operating without approved layouts.
Consequently, the government has given the owners a 21-day ultimatum to process their layout approvals.
The estates, which were deemed illegal due to the failure of the owners to obtain layout approvals from the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, were listed in a document published by the ministry, yesterday.
News
VISA: US demanding $15,000 down payment for some visitors
The funds will be returned if the applicant complies with all visa terms. If the applicant remains in the United States past the deadline, the funds will be forfeited.
The US State Department says that some visa applicants will soon be required to pay bonds of up to $15,000 to discourage visa overstays as part of President Donald Trump‘s crackdown on migration.
Starting later this month, the pilot program will require applicants from certain countries to pay a sum of “no less than $5,000” as collateral for the issuance of their visa.
The funds will be returned if the applicant complies with all visa terms. If the applicant remains in the United States past the deadline, the funds will be forfeited.
“Consular officers may require covered nonimmigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to $15,000 as a condition of visa issuance,” the agency said in a notice to be published Tuesday in the US Federal Register.
The 12-month program would only affect foreign nationals from countries considered to have “high visa overstay rates” based on a 2023 Department of Homeland Security report, the notice said.
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