The management of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has received three drones and 100 highly profiled self-configured walkie-talkies from international partners.
The Commandant General of the NSCDC, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, who received the gadgets on behalf of the Corps in his office, thanked the Equipping the Needy Initiative (ETNI) and its partner for the kind gesture.
The National Public Relations Officer of NSCDC, Babawale Afolabi, who conveyed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja, said this was part of measures to ensure the safety and security of lives and property, as well as surveillance of critical national assets and infrastructure in the country.
Audi further noted that ETNI has demonstrated through their donation that security is a collaborative effort.
“Our partners in their previous visit promised partnership, and true to their words, they have come to fulfil that promise today; it shows that they just don’t do the talk; they work the talk,” the CG added.
Dr Audi also gave the assurance that the gadgets donated would be optimally utilised: “Anything being given has been given as a trust, and the communication centre so promised will serve as a command and control centre where we will harness our national operations. The Corps is in charge of liberated areas and provides safety and security to IDP camps.”
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Equipping the Needy Initiative, Dr Benedict Aliku, in the company of some passionate citizens of the United States who are also security experts and consultants, said in his address that their donation is a testament to their commitment to supporting the NSCDC, with the firm belief that security is a collective responsibility and their resolve to play their part effectively.
Benedict maintained that the organisation will explore other areas for more collaboration, hence the intention to leverage the NSCDC Act for future endeavours.
“One such initiative as we leverage the NSCDC Act 2003 as amended in 2007 is to embark on IDP shelter projects for the needy in the five states of Kaduna, Benue, Kogi, and Nasarawa, which will be managed by the NSCDC,” he said.
He also added the construction of a communication command centre that will be domiciled at the national headquarters and will coordinate surveillance across the nation.
Another high point was the presentation of the award to the Commandant General in recognition of his unwavering commitment to combating crime and ensuring the safety of the people of Nigeria.
The Commandant in Charge of the Counter Terrorism Unit, CC Edike Akpan, thanked the Commandant General and partners of the Corps for beefing up the unit to meet international best practices and assured them of the unit’s readiness to utilise the facility well.
The passionate United States citizens present were Judd Saul, International Director of ETNI; Steve Fisher, US Adversary Board; Doug Bouton, US journalist; and Mark Danner, a security consultant.
The delegation later moved to the proposed site for the construction of the Counter-Terrorism Response and Communication Centre.