Godsent Ogbebor
NSCDC to Revamp Security Strategy After 65 Farmers Killed in Bandit Attacks
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has pledged to overhaul its security strategy following the deaths of at least 65 farmers in a series of deadly attacks by bandits in 2024.
This was disclosed on Wednesday by NSCDC spokesperson Afolabi Babawale, who confirmed that despite the deployment of 10,000 agro rangers nationwide, violent assaults continue to plague farming communities across the country.
The year has already seen a string of deadly incidents. In January, 40 farmers were killed by armed groups in Borno State.
In March, 20 more were massacred in four communities in Ondo State’s Ala Elefosan area, while five others lost their lives in a separate attack in Akure North. In April, bandit kingpin Kachalla Bello Turji was reportedly behind the killing of 11 farmers in Sokoto State.
In response, the NSCDC Commandant General, Dr. Ahmed Audi, has launched a comprehensive review of the corps’ security strategy, especially its agro ranger operations, to counter the escalating violence.
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“The CG is reviewing the structure and performance of our specialised units to boost coordination with other security agencies, community vigilantes, and local stakeholders,” Babawale stated. He added that part of the strategic shift includes intensified and realistic training for personnel in line with the corps’ Standard Operating Procedures.
Audi, through the spokesperson, reaffirmed the NSCDC’s dedication to protecting Nigeria’s farmers. “In implementing strategic innovations, more emphasis would be on realistic and focused training for officers and men after a thorough review of our established modus operandi,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government is also taking action. On March 20, the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced plans to recruit additional agro rangers to strengthen agricultural security across Nigeria.
The minister assured citizens that the government, under President Bola Tinubu, remains focused on safeguarding lives and property and will continue to ramp up efforts to protect rural communities.
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