Tension in NSCDC as Outgoing Commandant Refuses to Hand Over to Igbo Deputy

There’s a setback within the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps following the exit of its Commandant-General, with allegations of a stalled handover process dominating discussions at the national headquarters in Abuja.

The controversy centers on claims that the outgoing head of the Corps, Ahmed Audi, did not formally transfer authority to the most senior Deputy Commandant-General, Nnamdi Nwinyi, as required by internal protocol.

Audi officially retired from service on Friday after attaining the mandatory retirement age and completing his tenure.

By standard procedure, leadership was expected to pass to the most senior deputy officer in an acting capacity, pending further directives from the Federal Government.

However, several senior officers at the Corps’ headquarters disclosed that no such handover took place, creating uncertainty and tension within the command structure.

Sources said the officer next in line is DCG Nnamdi Nwinyi, who currently oversees the Intelligence and Investigation Department at the headquarters. They alleged that the refusal to hand over was linked to his ethnic background.

“A DCG of the Nigerian Civil Defence is supposed to take over from the outgoing CG as the most senior DCG, but the CG up to today refused to hand over to him simply because he is an Igbo man,” one of the top sources disclosed.

Another senior officer described the development as troubling and contrary to long-standing civil service and paramilitary traditions.

According to the officer, seniority determines who assumes leadership in acting capacity whenever a chief executive retires, until a substantive appointment is announced.

Attempts to get an official response from the Corps’ leadership were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

Audi was appointed Commandant-General on March 1, 2021. He is from Nasarawa State and holds a PhD in Public Administration from Nasarawa State University, Keffi, as well as a Master’s degree in Public Business Administration from the University of Calabar. He is also a member of the National Institute.

However, people note that the principle of “federal character,” which seeks to balance appointments across regions, has remained a sensitive issue in security leadership.

Over the years, civil society groups and media commentators have raised concerns about the limited representation of officers from the South-East in top security positions.