FCT NSCDC decorates 402 officers, urges commitment to service

The Federal Capital Territory Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Olusola Odumosu, has charged newly promoted officers of the Corps to see their elevation as a call to higher responsibility and improved service delivery to the nation.

Odumosu gave the charge on Tuesday, during the decoration ceremony of 402 newly promoted officers of the FCT Command, held at the Command Headquarters in Abuja.

Addressing officers, senior officials and guests at the event, the commandant described the occasion as more than a routine promotion exercise, noting that it reflected years of dedication and sacrifice.

“Today is not just a celebration of new ranks; it is a celebration of dedication, discipline, resilience, and unwavering commitment to national service,” he said.

He conveyed the goodwill of the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Prof. Ahmed Audi, to the officers, congratulating them on what he described as well-earned promotions. According to him, advancement in rank comes with renewed obligations to the Corps and the country.

“Promotion, however, is not an entitlement; it is a call to higher responsibility, greater discipline, and enhanced service delivery. To whom much is given, much is expected,” Odumosu stated.

The FCT commandant highlighted what he described as significant achievements recorded by the command, attributing them to leadership support, personnel commitment and collaboration with other security agencies.

He said the command had strengthened security across the Federal Capital Territory through intelligence-driven operations, proactive patrols and rapid response to threats.

Odumosu noted that the Command had made progress in protecting critical national assets and infrastructure, including government facilities and public utilities.

He also pointed to the role of the Agro-Rangers Unit in addressing farmer-herder conflicts in rural and peri-urban communities of the FCT, describing the effort as vital to food security and peaceful coexistence.

On the fight against economic sabotage, he disclosed that the Command recorded notable arrests in 2025.

“The command has also intensified its fight against vandalism, illegal mining, and other acts of economic sabotage, recording in 2025, arrests of 112 vandals and no fewer than 50 illegal miners, followed by successful prosecutions that have helped deter criminal activities,” he said.

He listed offences linked to the arrests to include vandalism of armoured and fibre optic cables, theft of telecommunications equipment, destruction of masts and billboards, dismantling of street lights, theft of solar panels and poles, vandalism of road crash barriers and other related crimes.

The commandant stated that the FCT command was responding to evolving security challenges through the continuous training and retraining of personnel in areas such as intelligence gathering, election security, crowd control, disaster management, and inclusive security practices.

He added that community engagement and public education had helped build trust between the Corps and the residents of the Territory.

“Our commitment to inclusive security is evident in initiatives such as targeted training programmes that enhance professionalism, human rights compliance, and effective service delivery to all segments of society,” Odumosu said.

He urged the newly promoted officers to justify the confidence reposed in them by maintaining high ethical standards.

“To the newly promoted officers, I urge you to wear your new ranks with humility, integrity, and renewed zeal,” he told them, adding that they must remain loyal to the Constitution and serve as role models to their subordinates.

In his concluding remarks, the commandant commended officers and men of the FCT command for their sacrifices and reassured stakeholders of the Corps’ commitment to professionalism and accountability.

“I assure the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, the Commandant General, and the good people of Abuja of our continued commitment to professionalism, accountability, and effective security service delivery,” he said.

In December 2025, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board approved the promotion of 24,202 senior officers across the four paramilitary agencies under its supervision.

The affected agencies are the Nigerian Correctional Service, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Federal Fire Service, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

A breakdown of the figures showed that 11,426 officers were promoted in the Correctional Service, 4,336 in the Immigration Service, 2,581 in the Fire Service, and 5,859 in the Civil Defence Corps.

The promotion was based on various parameters, including national spread, good records, ratification, performance and vacancy availability.