Security
NSCDC Proposes 24-hour Joint Security Centre in Anambra
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has called for a permanent joint security operations centre in Awka to improve intelligence sharing and the response to kidnapping and other violent crimes in Anambra State.
The proposal was made by the state NSCDC Commandant, Maku Olatunde, at a security summit organised by the Nigeria Forest Security Services (NFSS) in Awka on Monday, 10 August.
Olatunde, who was represented by the command’s spokesperson, Superintendent of Corps Okadigbo Edwin, said the proposed centre should have representatives of relevant security agencies working around the clock.
He also called for standardised communication equipment, regular joint training and operations, monthly security summits across Anambra’s three senatorial zones and greater involvement of communities in security planning.
The proposals come as Anambra continues to deal with kidnapping, cult-related violence, armed robbery and attacks involving gunmen.
A January 2026 security assessment by the European Union Agency for Asylum identified kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery and killings among the security concerns affecting the state. It also reported attacks targeting security forces and vigilantes.
Why coordination matters
The NSCDC argues that the nature of modern crime makes it difficult for individual security agencies to operate effectively in isolation.
“Cooperation is working together. Collaboration is joint planning and execution. Coordination is harmonizing all efforts to avoid duplication. Without the three, we cannot win the war against crimes and criminality,” Mr Olatunde said.
He listed kidnapping, terrorism, cultism, armed robbery, banditry and illegal mining among threats that require joint action.
“Criminals do not carry ID cards of which agency they fall under. A kidnapper can operate in the forest in the morning and in the city in the evening. If all security agencies are not collaborating, then tackling insecurity will be far from us while the criminal wins,” he added.
The distinction between the three forms of cooperation is important. Sharing intelligence is different from jointly planning an operation, while coordination is intended to prevent different agencies from working at cross purposes.
Anambra has tried coordination before
The latest proposal is not the first attempt to improve cooperation among security agencies in the state.
In February 2025, the then Anambra Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, also called for stronger coordination between security agencies, identifying intelligence sharing, operational efficiency and public trust as areas where cooperation could improve security outcomes.
Security chiefs also met in Awka in May 2025 to coordinate arrangements for President Bola Tinubu’s visit to the state. The meeting involved representatives of the police, DSS, Army, Navy, NSCDC and other agencies.
In October 2025, the police established a Situation Room in Awka ahead of the governorship election. Representatives of the Army, DSS, NSCDC, FRSC, NDLEA, Immigration Service, Fire Service and Correctional Service took part in the security planning.
What is stopping agencies from working together?
Mr Olatunde identified institutional rivalry and practical constraints as obstacles.
He cited “ego and turf issues”, inadequate communication equipment, lack of trust and insufficient funding for joint operations.
The NSCDC has therefore proposed a system in which agencies would have representatives working together continuously, rather than waiting for a security incident before establishing temporary coordination.
NSCDC’s role
The Corps has a statutory role that makes cooperation particularly relevant to its operations.
Under the NSCDC Act and its 2007 amendment, the Corps is mandated to protect lives and critical national assets and infrastructure. Its official mandate also includes crime prevention, intelligence gathering and collaboration with other security and law-enforcement agencies.
The NSCDC says its Anambra command already conducts joint patrols with the military, police, DSS and other paramilitary agencies.
It also says it holds weekly intelligence-fusion meetings, conducts joint tactical and media training, and works with community stakeholders.
A wider Nigerian security problem
The argument for better coordination extends beyond Anambra.
In early August, Nigerian security forces rescued 308 people abducted in separate incidents in Niger and Kwara states in what President Bola Tinubu described as the country’s largest single-day joint security rescue operation. The operation involved multiple security services and was presented as an example of intelligence-led cooperation.
That operation illustrates both the potential benefit and the complexity of multi-agency security work. Intelligence has to move between organisations, while personnel, equipment and command structures must be brought together quickly.
For Anambra, the challenge is different in scale and character but the principle is similar: criminals can move between forests, roads, towns and communities, crossing the operational boundaries of individual agencies.
Citizens are also being asked to play a role
Mr Olatunde said security could not be left entirely to government agencies.
He called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, community associations and civil society organisations to promote vigilance and provide credible information to authorities.
“A society where citizens are indifferent to suspicious activities creates room for criminal elements to thrive,” he said.
That approach could improve early warning, particularly in communities where residents have better knowledge of local movements than outside security personnel.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Anambra State says it has arrested three men over the alleged vandalism of government property and structures on government-owned land in Onitsha South Local Government Area.
The suspects were arrested on Monday, 14 September 2026, at about 3:48pm during an operation involving NSCDC personnel and the Agunachemba Security Outfit, according to the command.
The development was announced on Tuesday by SC Okadigbo Edwin, Head of Media and Tactical Operations of the NSCDC Anambra Command, while reviewing the command’s operational activities for the week.
Three men arrested
The NSCDC identified the suspects as Oseloka Anyaorah of Onitsha Umuasi, who allegedly claimed to be the chairman of Ogbo Family, as well as John Nwobodo and Ifeanyi Nwancho.
The command said Nwobodo and Nwancho claimed to be workers of Anyaorah at the site.
The agency said the men were allegedly found vandalising government property in Onitsha South.
Items recovered from the site include a government signpost, zinc sheets, nails and other building materials, according to the NSCDC.
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Investigation underway
The NSCDC said preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects allegedly conspired to damage and remove parts of government infrastructure belonging to Onitsha South.
The recovered materials have been taken into the custody of the Corps, it said.
The allegations have not been tested in court, and the suspects are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
NSCDC warns against public property vandalism
Anambra State NSCDC Commandant, Maku Olatunde, condemned the alleged vandalism, describing the destruction of public property as economic sabotage against the government and residents of the state.
He said the Corps would continue efforts to protect critical national assets and infrastructure.
Commandant Maku directed that the suspects be profiled and prosecuted after investigations are concluded.
He also urged traditional rulers, town union leaders and residents to provide timely information to security agencies to help prevent the vandalism of government facilities.
What happens next?
The NSCDC said investigations into the incident are continuing, after which the suspects are expected to be charged to court if sufficient evidence is established.
The case highlights the role of security agencies and community leaders in protecting public infrastructure, particularly facilities and assets built with government resources.
A doctor in Ogun State has waived a ₦300,000 outstanding hospital bill owed by a woman who lost her baby after undergoing a Caesarean Section.
The Ogun State Police Command said the intervention followed an appeal by Commissioner of Police Olubode Bode Ojajuni after the woman, identified as Precious Mathew, approached the Owode-Yewa Police Division for help.
According to the command, Ms Mathew, from the Ogooluwa area behind Owode Market, went to the police station on 13 September 2026 over the unpaid bill.
She had undergone a Caesarean Section at Longe Hospital Medical Centre, Sabo, Owode-Yewa, on 30 June, but subsequently lost her baby, the police said.
How the ₦300,000 debt arose
The hospital bill was ₦400,000, of which ₦100,000 had already been paid, leaving a balance of ₦300,000.
The matter was brought to the attention of CP Ojajuni, who the police said contacted the medical doctor, Dr Babanki Samuel, to appeal for consideration of the woman’s circumstances.
The command said Dr Samuel subsequently agreed to waive the entire outstanding balance.
The decision meant Ms Mathew could leave without having to pay the remaining ₦300,000, according to the police.
Police praise doctor’s gesture
The Ogun State Police Command described the doctor’s decision as an act of compassion towards a woman already dealing with the loss of her child.
It thanked Dr Samuel for what it described as his “humanity and generosity”.
The account provided by the police does not indicate that Ms Mathew was arrested or accused of committing an offence. Rather, the division became involved after she sought assistance over the hospital debt.
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A difficult situation eased
The incident highlights the difficulties that unpaid medical bills can create for families, particularly after a traumatic medical experience.
In this case, the police intervention resulted in a conversation between the commissioner and the doctor, with the hospital subsequently agreeing to cancel the outstanding amount.
The police said the outcome allowed the woman to leave without the financial burden.
The Ogun State Police Command’s account did not provide further details about Ms Mathew’s current condition or the circumstances surrounding her baby’s death.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Anambra State has secured the conviction of a man, Obika Sopuruchukwu, over the attempted theft and vandalism of critical telecommunications infrastructure in Awka.
Sopuruchukwu was arrested on 9 September 2026 at Emma Nnaemeka Street, Awka, after allegedly conspiring with an accomplice to steal a telecommunications integrated power transformer/generator installed in the area.
According to the NSCDC, the accomplice escaped, while operatives arrested Sopuruchukwu and subsequently charged him before the Magistrate Court sitting in Awka.
Man convicted on two counts
The defendant was arraigned in Charge No. MAW/276C/2026 on two counts.
The first count was conspiracy to commit a felony, specifically stealing, punishable under Section 495(a) of the Criminal Code.
The second involved vandalism of critical national assets through the loosening of bolts and cutting of cables, an offence the NSCDC said is punishable under Section 353(2) of the Criminal Code.
Sopuruchukwu pleaded guilty to both charges.
Delivering judgment on 11 September, the magistrate found him guilty on the two counts and sentenced him to one month imprisonment on each count.
The sentences are to run consecutively at the Correctional Centre in Amawbia, meaning he is to serve a total of two months in custody.
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NSCDC warns infrastructure vandals
The NSCDC Anambra State Command said the conviction underscores its efforts to protect critical national assets and infrastructure across the state.
The State Commandant, Maku Olatunde, commended the prosecution team led by SC Ifeanyi Nwokike and other operatives for what he described as their diligence.
He reiterated the Corps’ commitment to protecting critical national assets and infrastructure in Anambra.
Commandant Maku also warned that the NSCDC would continue to clamp down on people involved in the vandalism of public utilities.
He urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities around government and private installations to the nearest NSCDC formation.
Why the case matters
Telecommunications infrastructure supports mobile communications, internet connectivity and other digital services used daily by individuals, businesses and public institutions.
Damage to power and supporting equipment at telecommunications sites can disrupt services and impose additional costs on operators and users.
The NSCDC is legally mandated to protect critical national assets and infrastructure, making the prevention of vandalism a key part of its security responsibilities.
What’s next
The NSCDC said it would continue operations against the vandalism of critical infrastructure and urged members of the public to provide information about suspicious activity around installations.
The command did not provide further details about the escaped accomplice or whether any additional arrest had been made.
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