Nigeria Not Ripe To Allow Citizens Bear Arms, NSCDC Warns …Promises To Expose, Punish Personnel Involved In Oil Bunkering

Commandant General, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC),Dr Ahmed Audi, has said that Nigerians were not ripe to be allowed to bear arms.
Audi made the observation when he featured on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja.
“I strongly disapproved of it. Even now that there is no law in existence, you still have proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the hands of people.
“It has to do with civilisation and education.
“Even in Europe and America where they have that law where virtually everybody once you can drive can have arms, they are trying to control it now because of how some events unfold.
“In the world, especially in Europe and America, somebody will just wake up and just go to a school and open fire on kids. You know that is madness.
“And so for me, I don’t think we are there yet to allow citizens carry arms.”
The CG also spoke on the efforts being made by the NSCDC to address farmers/herders clashes in the country.
He said that the corps, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, had trained over 3,000 Agro Rangers to provide security to farms and other agro allied investments.
The CG said that the unit was a specialised department, which also help to reconcile farmers and herders.
“They are still there and presently we have even trained about 3,000 of them and as you can even see me sitting here, this is their uniform, the uniform of Agro Rangers.
“They are under a department called Peace and Conflict Resolution, and using Alternative Dispute Resolution, they have settled over 1000 cases between farmers and herders nationwide.
“You can see them visibly in Borno, Yobe, Kaduna, Adamawa, Enugu, and they are there doing their work,”he said.
Speaking on illegal oil bunkering, Audi pledged to deal decisively with any personnel found culpable in oil bunkering in the Niger Delta.
He said the corps was investigating reports of alleged collusion between some personnel and oil thieves in the Niger Delta.
Audi said that the NSCDC had upgraded its Standard Operating Procedure and Code of Conduct, providing adequate mechanisms of handling disciplinary cases.
“We have approved that we will carry out discrete intelligence and investigation on the role of our personnel that are allegedly involved in oil theft.
“I will like to assure Nigerians that as soon as we are through with the investigations, anybody that is found culpable will be severely sanctioned.
“To also add to that, what we did recently was to disband and reorganise the Anti-Vandalism Unit with the view to injecting fresh blood.
“So, what we did was that anybody who has served in the Niger Delta region for more than six months to one year is leaving that place and we will now bring new people.
“Let me also reiterate that as soon as we conclude investigations, we will try to make it public to Nigerians.
“Anybody no matter how highly placed, no matter his level or rank that is involved in colluding or conniving or in some form of compromise with oil thieves would be severely sanctioned,” Audi added.