THE Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ondo State Command, has vowed to sanction any illegal and unlicensed Private Guard Company operating in the state.

The State Commandant of NSCDC, Mr Pedro Awili, gave the warning on Wednesday in Akure while inaugurating a Joint Taskforce (JTF) to checkmate the activities of illegal PGCs in the state.

Awili said the Commandant General of NSCDC, Abdullahi Gana, had directed the constitution of a joint task force in every state.

He said the task force would be between the corps and the various state chapters of the Association of Licensed Private Security Practitioners of Nigeria (ALPSPN).

The state commandant said it was part of security measures to curb the proliferation of illegal private guard companies in Nigeria.

He said the rate at which unlicensed PGCs were operating in the state was alarming, and if not checked, portended serious threat to national security.

He said that the JTF had the mandate to stamp out all illegal PGCs operating in the state as soon as possible.

Awili, who tagged the JTF operation ‘Operation No Mercy,’ said it had become mandatory for all the operators of PGCs in the state to have valid licences, otherwise they would be arrested and prosecuted.

He, therefore, urged members of the public including corporate organisations and business establishments to patronise the licensed private guard companies so that they would not fall victims of quacks.

Earlier, Mr Mathew Akinbileje, the state Chairman of ALPSPN, said that the association would partner with the NSCDC for smooth and easy enforcement of the JTF mandate.

Also speaking, Mr Tunde Akande, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the the Ondo Governor on Security, said that government was committed to ensuring adequate security of lives and property in the state.

Akande said government would collaborate with NSCDC in ensuring that only licensed PGCs remained in the business of providing private security guards for the people of the state.

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– Nov. 21, 2018 @ 15:15 GMT |