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.”