Prior To Elections, Nscdc Organizes Coordinated Security And Training Staff.

In order to safeguard voters, domestic observers, sensitive election materials, and electoral officials during this year’s elections, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has informed Nigerians that the Corps would operate in a well-coordinated way.

Dr. Ahmed Audi, the NSCDC Commandant General (CG), made this statement in Abuja during a two-day training on boosting capacities for all State Commandants and the Corps’ strategic managers.

Dr. Audi said that the goal of the two-day workshop, “Preparing for the 2023 General Elections: NSCDC Ability Building Training,” which was organized in collaboration with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, was to produce standard policy guidelines that could be utilized to increase the capacity of employees.

To guarantee a safe national electoral process, he said preparations are in the works to publish a new standard operating guideline on election responsibilities and other important election security standards for workers.

The Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) offices must all be actively protected, he said, warning that any State Commandant who reports an assault on an INEC facility while it is in operation would be punished.

The Corps will not take it lightly if we learn that INEC offices are assaulted in any domain led by any of you, he warned. “We must defend INEC offices because they are essential national assets,” he said.

For a smooth operation during the election, Audi advised police to familiarize themselves with the new electoral legislation.

He said that under the new Electoral Act, NSCDC agents might detain electoral offenders and carry out in-depth investigations but not bring charges against the suspects.