Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Delta State Command, Akinsanya Iskilu Abiodun, has warned private security outfits in the state which have no assigned legal roles in the 2022 Electoral Act to keep off the campaigns by the political parties.

Aknisanya who gave the warning as the ban on campaigns by presidential candidates and their political parties was lifted on Wednesday, September 28, 2022 by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), directed private security outfits operating in local communities under different structures but which have no legal roles in the Electoral Act to stay clear and allow the Electoral Security Actors (ESA) to perform their legitimate duties.

The Commandant who noted that the credibility of the 2023 general elections would depend on the level of professionalism exhibited by all stakeholders in the electoral process, including the NSCDC personnel, charged private security outfits to ensure that they were not involved or used by any political or local community actor in any activity during the electioneering campaign and other electoral process.

“It will amount to gross illegality and also a threat to the nation's security architecture which can jeopardise National Democratic Process (NDP),” Abiodun noted in a statement he issued in Asaba through the Public Relations Officer of the Command, Dsc Emeka Peters Okwechima.

The Commandant warned politicians, youths and mischief makers to shun any form of violence, campaigns of calumny, character assassinations, malicious statements, hate speeches, among others, which were capable of breaching the peace.

“They should rather engage on issue-based campaign and proffer more solutions for a better Nigeria,” Abiodun advised, saying that anyone who goes against the Electoral Act during the electioneering period would be decisively dealt with.

The Delta State NSCDC Commandant identified factors that would guarantee a free, fair and credible election in the 2023 general election to include the level of professionalism exhibited before, during and after the elections, as well as compliance with extant laws, regulations, operational guide, regiments, standards; conduct of party men, women, youths, other stakeholders, politicians, political parties, civil societies, critical stakeholders which include security agents.

Abiodun charged his men to be neutral and exhibit true professionalism when engaged in electioneering political process.

“On this premise, I therefore charge officers and men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to be neutral and remain apolitical as the political campaigns of various political parties and their candidates take off nationwide. I urge my personnel to remain firm, committed, professional and resolute in discharging their constitutional duties,” the Commandant said.

“We must display our commitment to building public trust and confidence to maintain national peace, security and a determined zeal to advance the tenets of democracy, democratic values and national security,” Abiodun added.

He, therefore, ordered all Area Commanders and the 25Divisional Officers in the state to work closely with INEC officials and political party leaders in their various areas and Local Governments in order to form a formidable synergy and collaboration with other sister security agencies.

The NSCDC boss said that by collaborating with sister security agencies, NSCDC operatives at the local government would be well acquainted with all political activities involved in the campaign time tables to enable them to proactively provide adequate security for those involved in those political activities.

He said awareness of these political activities and campaigns would help in resolving conflicts and clashes of venues, dates and time during campaigns.

Abiodun seized the opportunity to admonish citizens not to take to crime, warning however, that the NSCDC was committed to dealing decisively with criminal elements when caught, according to the dictates and provisions of extant laws of the land.