NSCDC FCT Commandant seeks enforcement of law on discrimination against PWDs

The Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, Olusola Odumosu, has advocated the full implementation of Discrimination Against Persons With Disability (Prohibition) Acts, 2018, to guarantee inclusive protection, safety and well-being of all individuals within the society, particularly those with special needs or the vulnerable.

Odumosu, made the call while presenting a paper on “Inclusive Protection in Nigeria: Why We Must Act Now” at the 2025, National Convention of Sign Language, organized by the Abuja Association of the deaf held on Wednesday in Abuja.

Odumosu noted protection is a fundamental right of every citizen regardless of ability or disability while expressing disgust over the situation where people with disabilities often face barriers to safety, access to justice, and participation in national life.

Acting Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC FCT Command, Monica Ojobi, quoted the Commandant as saying that those who are deaf or hard of hearing are facing communication barriers, stigma, and inadequate institutional support systems, which further compounds their vulnerability.

“Inclusive Protection is a comprehensive approach that ensures the safety, rights and well- being of all individuals within a society, particularly the vulnerable groups.

“Nigeria has begun taking steps toward inclusive protection, but in practice, there are still significant gaps between policy and reality,” he said.

The Commandant applauded the country’s efforts in ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and passing the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, but hinted that, disability clusters continues to face exclusion in matters of security, justice, and emergency response.

“The law exists, but it is very concerning that many public buildings, offices, and public utilities are not fully accessible to persons with disabilities.

“The urgent task before us is to move from policy to practice so that no Nigerian is left behind in matters of safety and security,” Odumosu appealed

He identified key challenges and gaps to include weakness in implementation, exclusion in security planning, cultural stigma, lack of funding, low awareness amongst security personnel on disability right, under reporting of crimes due to communication barriers, inadequate protection frameworks, among others.

Odumosu assures that the NSCDC FCT Command remains committed to promoting inclusive protection and addressing the diverse needs of all members of the society.

“As an agency mandated to protect critical national assets, preventing crimes and safeguard communities, NSCDC remains committed to promoting inclusive protection.

“We have trained two hundred and fifty (250) of our personnel with skills to break barriers and communicate effectively in sign language.

“This is a vital commitment to ensuring that the voices of the deaf and hard of hearing citizens of this country are heard and understood,” he stated.

He added that the training and retraining initiative and the milestones the Command has achieved are all part of his deliberate strategy to build a resilient, modern, responsive and inclusive security outfit that can respond to the evolving needs of the society.

Odumosu promised that the Command would continue to strengthen their community relations with disability groups, integrate inclusivity into its security campaigns and continue to explore the opportunities that the trained disability desk officers attract to improve responses and mediation.

He noted that inclusive protection is not a favour but a right, saying that, “if we must truly build a peaceful and secure society, we can not afford any group especially those with disabilities to be excluded or discriminated against”.

He added that all hands must be on deck as protection of those with disabilities is sacrosanct and charged all stakeholders to foster a society where every person is valued and treated equally by acting now.

“Every day of delay exposes the vulnerable groups to risks that could have been prevented, the time to act is now,” the Commandant said.