Pix: Dr. Ogunkanmi <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The debate over the status of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) within Nigeria\u2019s security architecture has intensified following recent arguments linked to salary disparities between members of the Armed Forces and personnel of paramilitary agencies. The controversy gained traction after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved an upward review of salaries and allowances for members of the Armed Forces, a development that did not extend to officers and men of the country’s paramilitary services. Reacting to claims by a former Commandant General of the NSCDC, DCG Hilary Kelechi, that the Corps should be regarded as operating on a level comparable to the military because of its participation in frontline operations, retired Comptroller of Immigration, Dr. Tajudeen Ogunkanmi, has dismissed the assertion, insisting that joint deployment does not translate to institutional parity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Ogunkanmi, the former NSCDC chief’s argument appears to be driven more by sentiment than by an objective assessment of the roles, responsibilities, training structures, and statutory mandates of the nation’s security agencies. He argued that scholars and security professionals must evaluate such issues holistically rather than from an emotional or institutional perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The retired immigration officer questioned the basis for describing the NSCDC as a frontline military-equivalent agency, asking who deploys the Corps to conflict zones and major security operations. He noted that in virtually all joint security operations, command structures are led by the military, with other agencies providing support within their respective mandates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Drawing from his experience, Ogunkanmi recalled that the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) had been participating in Joint Task Force operations for more than 18 years before the NSCDC began taking part in similar assignments. He explained that immigration officers had long operated alongside the military, police, Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Customs Service in various security operations across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He further noted that the NIS was authorised to bear arms in 1984 following the Maitatsine disturbances, a period that necessitated enhanced security measures and greater inter-agency cooperation. According to him, in 1987 he personally participated in joint operations involving the military, police, DSS, and customs, carrying out overnight raids, manning checkpoints, and conducting investigations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ogunkanmi disclosed that during those operations he was attached to the Lamisula Police Station as an interrogating officer, where he worked closely with other security agencies in tackling threats to national security. Such assignments, he said, exposed immigration officers to significant risks and demonstrated the service’s commitment to national security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The retired comptroller also recalled an appearance by the late Comptroller General of Immigration before the National Assembly in 2015, where records showed that more than 400 immigration officers and men had lost their lives in the line of duty. The presentation, he said, was backed by official documents and drew sympathy and recognition from lawmakers who acknowledged the sacrifices made by immigration personnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, he stressed that despite those sacrifices and operational contributions, the Immigration Service never claimed to be on the same level as the military. According to him, participation in joint operations and the loss of personnel in the course of duty do not automatically confer military status on a paramilitary organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“In terms of weapons systems, combat capabilities, force projection, training doctrines and battlefield tactics, no paramilitary agency can legitimately claim to be at par with the Armed Forces,” he argued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He warned that attempts to create such impressions often generate unnecessary friction between the military and other security agencies. According to him, each institution has clearly defined constitutional and operational responsibilities, and national security is best served when those distinctions are respected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ogunkanmi further pointed to the historical evolution of the two organisations, noting that the Nigeria Immigration Service was established in 1963 and had been carrying out border security and migration management functions long before the NSCDC was formally recognised as a paramilitary organisation in the early 2000s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I was already a Superintendent of Immigration before the NSCDC received formal recognition as a paramilitary agency,” he said, adding that institutional maturity and longevity should encourage greater appreciation of inter-agency collaboration rather than competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The retired immigration chief maintained that the current debate should not distract attention from the real issue raised by many personnel of paramilitary organisations about the need for improved welfare and equitable remuneration. He argued that seeking better salaries and conditions of service is a legitimate concern, but such demands should be pursued through policy engagement rather than comparisons that blur the distinction between military and paramilitary institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He added that Nigeria’s security architecture depends on the complementary roles played by the Armed Forces, police, intelligence agencies and paramilitary organisations. While every agency deserves recognition for its contributions, he said, professionalism requires acknowledging the differences in mandate, operational scope and command responsibility that distinguish the military from other security services.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pix: Dr. Ogunkanmi By Samson Ike, Abuja The debate over the status of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) within Nigeria\u2019s security architecture has intensified following recent arguments…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":27696,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27859","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pages"],"yoast_head":"\n