The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Ebonyi Command has warned its personnel who recently underwent arms training that it will not tolerate any case of accidental discharge.

The State Commandant of the corps, Mr Francis Nnadi, gave the warning on Wednesday in Abakaliki while addressing a guard of honour mounted for him by the 83 personnel.

Nnadi charged the personnel who were trained at the 14 Brigade of the Nigeria Army, Ohafia, Abia, to stick to all rules of engagement.

“One should be more disciplined when armed, and you must make vigilance your watchword.

“The commandant general of the corps has a mantra of rejuvenating and reinvigorating the corps, and all state commands are proactively striving to achieve this mandate,” he said.

The state commandant remarked that the command was collaborating with the state government to secure the Chuba Okadigbo Airport, Onueke.

“We also have the mandate of protecting critical infrastructure in the state, as the arms training will be handy in actualising the mandates.

“We would be deploying the personnel across the state to effectively utilise their expertise.

“Criminals and non-state actors are upping their skills, but we have to be far above them to check their activities, he said.

He expressed satisfaction with the skills exhibited by the trainees during the parade, describing them as exceptional.

“Most of them had earlier undergone special forces, counter-terrorism and other forms of large- and medium-scale training,” he said.

The Ebonyi Commissioner for Youth Development and Sports, Mr Richard Idike, congratulated the trainees and urged them to effectively practicalise all they learnt.

“The society is grappling with rising criminal activities, and we need enhanced training for security operatives to check such.

“The training NSCDC personnel underwent from the army makes them unique, and the state has benefitted tremendously from it.

“The state commandant has performed exceptionally, and the increase in personnel performance is evident,” he said.

One of the trained personnel, Florence Nweke, thanked the State Commandant for affording them the training opportunity and pledged to be more dedicated to her duty. (NAN)