The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) arrested 546 suspected vandals, prosecuted 429 and secured 51 convictions between January 2022 and February 2023.

The NSCDC commandant general, Ahmed Audi, disclosed this at a programme to celebrate International Civil Defence Day on Wednesday.

The CG said NSCDC had also destroyed 71 illegal refineries, and 22 illegal oil bunkering sites, impounded 134 trucks and confiscated 36 boats alongside other illegal bunkering equipment.

Mr Audi said that 530 officers and men who underwent training in handling firearms graduated within the period.

The CG cautioned the recruits against the accidental discharge of firearms and urged them to diligently guard their arms.

Mr Audi said the corps has significantly improved its disaster management, risk assessment, crime detection, prevention, and protection of critical national assets and infrastructure (CNAI).

“The corps has upgraded its Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and its cyber experts have designed, developed and deployed Electronic Disaster Alert Monitoring Application.

“ This is to enable NSCDC to receive and jointly respond to fire, flood and other emergencies,” he said.

He added that the management had developed and deployed an Integrated Electronic Arrest and Reporting System (I-Ears) to fight crime and effective intelligence communication.

Mr Audi said that in efforts to fulfil the mandates of the corps, the School Gender Base Violence Reporting (SGBV) application and the National School Security and Emergency Response Centre were activated.

“ Let me assure you of our commitment to staff welfare, adequate training, retraining of staff to enhance capacity, upgrading of facilities in all Civil Defence training colleges,” he added.

(NAN)