At least 20 private security companies have been sealed off by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Rivers State for operating without valid licence.
The Commandant of the state Command of the NSCDC, Mrs. Helen Amakiri, who disclosed this in Port Harcourt on Saturday, added that warning letters had been issued to 13 other security companies to regularise their operations.
Amakiri said this during a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the corps, with heads of private security companies in the state in attendance.
She said about 100 private security firms in the state had renewed their licences since the beginning of the year.
She noted that the state command of the NSCDC had so far registered 168 private guard companies with 113 of them having head offices in Rivers while 55 were operating branches in the state.
Amakiri said, “In line with the provision of the Act, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Rivers State has so far registered 168 private security companies in the state and 113 have head offices in Rivers State.
“Fifty-five only have their branches in Port Harcourt. On the other hand, no fewer than 20 private guard companies have so far been sealed off for operating without valid licences while 13 have been given warning letters to normalise their operations.”
Amakiri pointed out that the stakeholders’ meeting was aimed not only at creating awareness on the regulatory role of the NSCDC on private guard companies, but to also plan on the state of security and seek the way forward for private security firms association in the state.
She described the theme of the stakeholders’ meeting for this year, ‘Peace by all and for all,’ as apt, stressing that security should be seen as business by all.
According to Amakiri, Nigeria’s participation in peace-keeping in other African countries was a proof that the country was strategically positioned to champion peace moves.
She, however, called on stakeholders to assist the corps in the state to sanitise private guard companies by reporting unprofessional conducts of registered ones or any of them operating without valid licence.
In his remark, the Chairman of Licenced Private Security Practitioners of Nigeria, Reverend Mark Abere, appealed to members of the association to see the need to assist the state security architecture.
Abere stressed the need for professional private security firms to operate in line with government’s expectations, adding that professionals should embrace best practice standard. Punch
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