A Chief Superintendent of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr Japheth Rotimi, on Thursday called for the recognition for private security companies in the criminal justice system.
In a lecture at a stakeholders’ meeting and award day organised in honour of private guard companies by the Kwara command of the NSCDC in Ilorin, Rotimi, who is also a lecturer in the College of Security Management of NSCDC, Abeokuta, said the recognition would make for effective crime prevention and control.
He, however, counseled the operators of the private companies to act within their limit and focus more in the areas of crime prevention and intelligence gathering, saying they were not meant to combat crimes.
In the lecture entitled “Strengthening the Capacity of Private Guards Company in National Security,” Rotimi said the companies were necessary to make up for the UN recommendation of one security guard to four persons.
He said Nigeria, with a population of more than 150 million people, required 30 million security personnel in various agencies.
While advocating the establishment of more private guards to fill in the gap, the superintendent said the coming of new security outfits should not breed rivalry among them but that they should rather complement each other.
“Private guard companies are not to combat crime, they are to prevent crimes and the best way to combat crime is to prevent it from happening and that is why private security companies are important in the security network,” he said.
The state commandant of the corps, Ideba Pedro, advised the private guards association to “shun rancour and acrimony” for effective performance.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Association of Private Guards in the state, Mr Shola Obadeyi, said the event was “unique” and would go a long way in promoting inter-agencies collaboration among private security guards and the NSCDC.
He said the companies were necessary to bridge the gaps in the number of security operatives which was far below the UN recommendations.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the command also presented award to outstanding private security companies. (NAN)
