The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has expressed concern over the rate at which Critical National Assets and Infrastructure (CNAI) are vandalised and stolen in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The FCT Commandant, Dr Olusola Odumosu, expressed the concern on Friday at the closing of a two-day training on the doctrinal ownership of protecting CNAI in the FCT.
The training was organised for Area Commanders, Divisional officers and other FCT command personnel.
Represented by his deputy, Mr Tijani Usman, Odumosu called for a shift from ad-hoc and reactive approaches to a standardised, intelligence-led and technology-driven operational doctrine.
He urged personnel to see the protection of CNAI as a national duty rather than merely an operational assignment.
According to him, infrastructure such as power grids, pipelines, railways, telecommunications facilities, water treatment plants and government institutions, constitutes the backbone of Nigeria’s economy, governance and national security.
“Effective CNAI protection should be anchored on prevention through intelligence-driven prevention, physical security, technology integration, stakeholder collaboration, prosecution and deterrence.
“This training exposes participants to critical areas, including information and intelligence gathering, surveillance-driven patrols, suspects’ handling, legal procedures and preservation of exhibits,” he said.
Odumosu reminded the participants that their responsibility went beyond guarding physical structures.
He described them as guardians of national continuity and urged them to return to their formations with renewed commitment to protecting national infrastructure.
He emphasised the importance of early warning systems, community engagement, private security intelligence and technical surveillance in identifying threats before they materialised.
The commandant said the NSCDC could not protect the nation’s critical infrastructure in isolation.
“Asset owners, private security companies, host communities and sister security agencies must strengthen collaboration, information sharing and coordinated responses,” he said.
Odumosu also underscored the importance of effective prosecution and deterrence, noting that arrests without prosecution could undermine efforts to curb vandalism and other infrastructure-related crimes.
He expressed concern over the increasing damage to installed fibre-optic infrastructure and its potential implications for the Federal Government’s digital transformation objectives.
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