FG Accuses Foreign Security Experts Of Aiding Insurgency, Militancy

The Federal Government has disclosed a new regulation is on the way to flush out foreign experts operating private security outfits in Nigeria, accusing them of aiding insurgency and criminalities in the system.

The Commandant General of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu disclosed this in Kaduna at the weekend.

He spoke during the Managing Directors/Chief Executive Officers Parley organised by the Kaduna Chapter of Association of Licensed Private Security Practitioners of Nigeria (ALPSPN).

Represented by the Assistant Commandant General PGC, Helen Amakiri, the NSCDC boss said that the new regulation’s document is being designed to address the lacuna in the 1986 Private Guard Companies (PGC) Act, which he said has become so obsolete and can no longer be used in the regulation of the PGCs in Nigeria of today.

According to him, “Luckily section 35 of that Act empowers the Minister of Interior to make regulations. So, as the regulator of the industry, we asked the permission of the Minister, which is the Chief regulator to formulate regulations that will address the entire lacuna in the Act, and that we have done.

“So, we have an up to date document called ‘Private Security Regulations 2018’ that can be used to regulate the industry, and upgrade it to where we want it to be. It has been gazetted by the Federal Government press.

“The regulation is going to stamp illegal operators and even foreign experts. The PGC Act says, no foreign experts should own Private Security Company in Nigeria, but the regulation has gone further to say that, no foreigner should own, be a Director or operative of private security company in Nigeria.

“So, we don’t want foreign experts in private security industry in Nigeria. The reason is that, we have been receiving intelligence reports that, these foreign operators and Directors aid and abet terrorism and insurgency, as well as militancy, especially in the Niger Delta and North-East of Nigeria,” he said.

The Commandant General however asked the private security operators to be ready to upgrade their practices and follow the guidelines.

National President ALPSPN, Dr. Davidson Akhimien, asked the Federal Government to employ their service in intelligence gathering to address the various security challenges confronting the country.

Represented by the Vice President of the association, Emilia Chasa, the President while noting that, security in Nigeria has become a burning issue, the private security operators can assist in the area of intelligence gathering, as they have their men in every nook and cranny of Nigeria.

On his part, the Kaduna State Chapter Chairman, Hon. Dauda Zuye-Nda Ageni, called on the relevant regulators of the ALPSPN to help in adequately addressing challenges of multiple taxation and quacks in the system who are giving the association bad images.

“The use of internal security by some public organizations is still going on in so many organizations.

“This has caused low patronage to private security by such organizations.

“Such agencies will prefer to use their internal security operatives despite being not registered or trained,” he stressed.