Speaking at the stakeholders’ interaction forum organised by ALPSPN, Oyo State chapter at Rotary House, Iyaganku, Ibadan, the guest speaker, United Kingdom (UK) International Security and Intelligence Consultant, Dr Femi Afolabi-Peters, explained that various studies recommend that guidelines of the private security industry should be fixed and monitored with approved minimum standards.
While speaking on the topic ‘Impediments to Functional Private Security Companies in Nigeria’, he disclosed that private security companies have an important complementary role to play in public security and therefore should be part of the community policing scheme.
He said: “Important and valuable information concerning security matters should be shared between the police and PSCs to combat crime as a unified team instead of competing rivals.
There is a need therefore to integrate PSCs guards in the scheme of community policing which will allow them to fight the sophisticated criminals and their activities in the country.
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“Against the background of insecurity challenges ravaging the country, I opine that it is high time and long overdue for the Government to allow PSCs to bear firearms after satisfactory background checks and professional training to competence level.”
Meanwhile, the President of the Association, Mr Seyi Alaba, said the private security business in Nigeria is a very delicate and dangerous business that requires 24 hour-seven-days-a-week surveillance, monitoring of human and physical resources.
According to him, private security companies play a vital role in the national security of this country, therefore, their role cannot be overemphasised.
“Private security companies complement the roles of other government security agencies and It is high time the government sees us as stakeholders and takes us seriously. If private security companies have inclusion in the security architecture of the state, it will ease the work of other security agencies.
“We are being neglected and we don’t get preference when it comes to security. Other security operatives such as Amotekun, vigilante groups, OPC carry arms, we are licensed security operators, we are screened from the position of a director down to the last person on the board, our documentation is with the DSS, yet we are not licensed to carry arms. How do we combat security?
“All these have to be looked into otherwise, we won’t be able to satisfy our clients,” he said.
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Oyo private security companies want inclusion in security architecture
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