The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has arrested seven private security guards and sealed three private guards companies in Calabar.
Commandant of NSCDC in the state, Samuel Fadeyi, who disclosed this in an interview with NAN on Thursday in Calabar, said that the suspects were arrested in January 2022 in Calabar.
Fadeyi said that the companies were sealed for operating without a valid license, while the men were arrested for parading themselves as private guards for companies that were unknown to the Corps in the state.
The affected companies are Adonai Security Limited, Close Watch Security Limited and Excel Security and Protection Services Limited.
He said that private guards companies forms part of the architecture in security, hence there must be properly licensed, monitored and evaluated to ensure there are operating in line with their mandate.
According to him, the NSCDC was saddles with the responsibility of supervising and licensing private guards companies in the country.
He noted that from several conferences and meetings held with the Commandant General of NSCDC, Ahmed Audi, the Corps stressed extensively on issues relating to quack private guard companies and those who have failed to renew their licence.
“Towards the beginning of the year 2022, we had to go on our normal patrol to ensure that there is calm and orderliness in view of the insecurity challenges in the country.
“In the process, we saw some private guards companies in default. We had to seal three of them; and as part of our patrol, we arrested seven private security guards who said they were working for companies that were unknown to us.
“We need to really profile and get the biometrics of these security guards because we cannot afford to have a weakness in the area of private security guards because most of them act as informant to criminals.
“As we speak, the suspects are undergoing prosecution,” he said.
He further stated that the Corps usually organise training workshops and seminars for the private guards companies and issue certificates to them accordingly.
He advise security guards companies to maintain their standard, renew their license as at when due and also do a thorough background check on those they are employing as guards.
Fadeyi also told NAN that the Corps has gotten a favourable judgement from the Federal High Court in Calabar, mandating that the two trucks that were arrested in 2021 for conveying adulterated diesel and kerosene be forfeited to the Federal Government.
“The court made the pronouncement shortly before going on vacation that the trucks be forfeited to the Federal Government and the adulterated product be destroyed.
“We are liaising with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to see the best possible way to destroy them without endangering the environment.
“We are continuing on our surveillance and I can assure you that with the support we are getting from our Commandant General, we will achieve more this year,” he added.
NAN