NSCDC deploys 4,000 Personnel for FCT Area Council polls

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Capital Territory Command, has deployed 4,000 personnel to provide security before, during and after the forthcoming Area Council elections in Abuja.

The FCT Commandant, Olusola Odumosu, disclosed this on Friday while receiving delegates from the National Peace Committee in Abuja.

Odumosu assured residents of adequate protection against harassment, intimidation and any form of electoral violence, stressing that security operatives were fully prepared to ensure a peaceful exercise on February 21.

Personnel Trained by INEC

According to the commandant, officers deployed for the election have undergone proper training by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on election-related duties.

“As one of the major stakeholders in election security in the country, our role will start before the election, and we are not going to stand down until after the results have been announced,” he said.

“We are trained to keep a close watch on the electioneering process. The series of meetings I have held with my Divisional Officers was towards ensuring that there is no compromise.”

Odumosu added that covert officers had been strategically deployed to crisis-prone polling units to mount surveillance ahead of election day.

He urged eligible voters to come out en masse to exercise their franchise without fear, assuring them that the corps would work in synergy with other security agencies to guarantee a hitch-free poll.

The commandant also appealed to parents and guardians to caution their wards against being used by politicians to foment trouble, advising them to abide strictly by electoral guidelines.

Peace Committee Seeks Collaboration

In her remarks, the Project Manager of the National Peace Committee, Asabe Ndahi, said the delegation’s visit was to assess the evolving election security landscape in the FCT.

She noted that the engagement aimed to share preliminary observations and strengthen collaboration ahead of the Area Council elections.

Ndahi commended the NSCDC command for its preparedness and pledged continued cooperation with security agencies to promote peaceful polls.