The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has established a forensic unit with modern facilities to boost its performance in the protection of critical infrastructure and national assets.

Commandant General of the Corps, Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu, made the disclosure recently at the Basic Training Programme for Forensic Desk Officers titled, “Fundamentals of Forensics in Evidence Collection, Analysis and Litigation support” held at the Corps Academy in Sauka, Abuja.

He said: “The establishment of the forensic unit is one of our responses to the challenges we sometime face within the Criminal Justice System.” He added that the facility will continue to provide litigation support for the corps and the country at large.

The NSCDC boss, represented by an Acting Deputy Commandant General of the Corps, in charge of operations Mr Kelechi Madu, stressed that the training was crucial, especially in the area of analysing evidence for prosecution of those working against the progress and development of the country.

The corps, according to him, needs good record keeping and critical analysis for further investigation and prosecution.

He thanked the Nigerian military for training some of her personnel in different areas and sought for further cooperation in areas of needs.

Earlier in his speech, the Guest Speaker, the Army Provost Marshal, Brigadier General Ayuba Ted Hamman, commended NSCDC for floating the forensic facility. He noted that all law enforcement agencies require training in forensics as a pre-requisite “for the efficacious discharge of their responsibilities.”

General Hamman, represented by Col. B. A. Oguntayo, noted that in recent times, “crime has assumed a very complex and sophisticated dimension requiring the use of sophisticated gadgets and aids to investigation for crime prevention and detection.

“In order to prevent, detect crime and apprehend offenders, there is the need for the tools of investigation to be modern, so as to adequately address the challenges posed thereby.”

He further noted that the traditional methods of combating crime have all become old, anachronistic, inadequate and incapable of detecting those responsible for the commission of criminal offences. The accuracy, reliability and dependability of those methods cannot be guaranteed, he stated.

In his remarks, the Head of Forensic Unit of NSCDC, Mr Tersoo Shaapera, said that the facility is basically meant to provide professional services that would add value to the corps and the country at large.

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