The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has sanctioned 66 personnel for various disciplinary offences, including involvement in arms dealing, as part of efforts to enforce accountability within the organisation.
The Commandant General, Ahmed Audi, disclosed this on Friday during an interaction with journalists in Abuja.
Audi said the affected officers received different punishments, including dismissal, compulsory retirement, demotion and warnings, based on the seriousness of their offences.
He explained that the disciplinary actions were taken after investigations into allegations against the personnel and subsequently approved by the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB).
The commandant general also revealed that some of the officers would be prosecuted, while others had already been dismissed following legal proceedings.
“Some of them are to face prosecution while some had been dismissed after facing prosecution. They will be prosecuted because of the veracity of the offence, level and kind of offence they have committed,” he said.
According to Audi, the affected personnel were from different formations of the corps, including state and zonal commands, area commands and the national headquarters.
He said the sanctions were imposed after the personnel underwent the required disciplinary processes, including orderly room trials and investigations by relevant committees.
Audi stressed that the corps would not compromise its disciplinary standards, warning that officers whose conduct undermined the organisation would be held accountable.
“The culture of any military or paramilitary organisation stands or is built on discipline,” he said.
On promotions, the NSCDC chief disclosed that approximately 17,000 personnel had been promoted from a pool of about 22,000 officers and men who participated in the exercise.
He said the successful candidates met the required performance standards and were considered based on available vacancies approved by the Federal Government.
Audi added that the promotion results would be displayed on the corps’ notice boards for affected personnel to check.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for supporting the promotion exercise and other reforms aimed at enhancing personnel welfare and improving the corps’ operational capacity.