Expatriates Running Private Companies To Leave Nigeria Soon ― NSCDC Boss

THE Federal Government has disclosed that a new regulation is on the way to flush out expatriates operating private security outfits in Nigeria.

This was even as such expatriates are being suspected to be abiding and aiding insurgency and criminalities in the country.

The Commandant General of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu disclosed this in Kaduna on Sunday during the Managing Directors/Chief Executive Officers Parley organised by the Kaduna chapter of Association of Licensed Private Security Practitioners of Nigeria (ALPSPN).

Represented at the event by the Assistant Commandant General PGC, Helen Amakiri, the NSCDC boss said, the new regulation’s document is being designed to address the lacuna in the 1986 Private Guard Companies (PGC) Act, which he said has become so obsolete and can no longer be used in the regulation of the PGCs in Nigeria of today.

According to him, “Luckily section 35 of that Act empowers the Minister of Interior to make regulations. So, as the regulator of the industry, we asked the permission of the Minister, which is the Chief regulator to formulate regulations that will address all the lacuna in the Act, and that we have done.

“So, we have an up to date document called ‘Private Security Regulations 2018’ that can be used to regulate the industry, and upgrade it to where we want it to be. It has been gazetted by the Federal Government press.

“The regulation is going to stamp illegal operators and even foreign operators. The PGC Act says, no foreigner should own Private Security Company in Nigeria, but the regulation has gone further to say that, no foreigner should own, be a Director or operative of private security company in Nigeria.

“So, we don’t want foreigners in the private security industry in Nigeria. The reason is that we have been receiving intelligence reports that, these foreign operators and Directors aid and abet terrorism and insurgency, as well as militancy, especially in the Niger Delta and North-East of Nigeria.” He said.

The Commandant General, however, asked the private security operators to be ready to upgrade their practices and follow the guidelines.

Earlier, the National President ALPSPN, Dr Davidson Akhimien asked the Federal Government to employ their service in intelligence gathering to address the various security challenges confronting the country.

Represented by the Vice President of the association, Emilia Chasa, the President while noting that, security in Nigeria has become a burning issue, the private security operators can assist in the area of intelligence gathering, as they have their men in every nook and cranny of Nigeria.

On his part, the Kaduna State Chapter Chairman, Hon Dauda Zuye-Nda Ageni called on the relevant regulators of the ALPSPN to help in adequately addressing challenges of multiple taxations and quacks in the system who are giving the association bad images.

“The use of internal security by some public organisations is still going on in so many organizations. This has caused low patronage to private security by such organisations. Such agencies will prefer to use their internal security operatives despite being not registered or trained” he stressed.

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