NSCDC nabs 112 vandals, 50 illegal miners in Abuja, decorates 402 officers

Federal Capital Territory FCT Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC has arrested 112 suspected vandals and 50 illegal miners in Abuja. 

The FCT Commandant of the NSCDC, Dr Olusola Odumosu, disclosed this on Monday during the decoration of 402 officers recently promoted across various ranks as part of measures to strengthen security operations and professionalism within the Corps.

According to him, “the arrest of the 12 suspected vandals followed recent operations, while a total of 112 vandals and no fewer than 50 illegal miners were arrested in 2025”

He reminded newly promoted officers that promotion “is not an entitlement but a call to higher responsibility, greater discipline and enhanced service delivery.”

Odumosu said the FCT Command had continued to record significant operational successes through intelligence-led operations, proactive patrols and collaboration with sister security agencies, adding that internal security across the territory had been strengthened since his assumption of office.

He stated that the command had intensified efforts to protect critical national assets and infrastructure, including government facilities, public utilities and strategic installations, while also stepping up the fight against vandalism, illegal mining and other acts of economic sabotage.

The Commandant said the suspects were apprehended for offences including vandalism of armoured and fibre optic cables, theft of telecommunication equipment and installations, dismantling of streetlights, solar panels and poles, vandalism of road crash barriers, and destruction and theft of billboards, noting that several of the cases had been successfully prosecuted to deter criminal activities.

The NSCDC boss also highlighted the role of the Agro-Rangers Unit in mitigating farmer-herder conflicts in rural and peri-urban communities of the FCT, describing the intervention as key to food security and peaceful coexistence.

He added that the command has invested in continuous training and retraining of personnel in areas such as intelligence gathering, election security, crowd control and disaster management.

Addressing the newly promoted officers, Odumosu urged them to conduct themselves with humility, integrity and professionalism, stressing that their actions must justify the confidence reposed in them by the Corps and the Nigerian people, while assuring residents of Abuja of the command’s continued commitment to effective security service delivery.