NSCDC: The Untold Story of Intelligence-Led Operations

By Israel Fagbemigun For many years, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has struggled with an identity problem. The military, police and Department of State Services dominated conversations around national security. That perception has however changed significantly, since inception of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led government. under the innovative supervision of Hon (Dr) Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Commandant General, Abubakar Audi has achieved a lot and transformed the corps, repositioning it to rob shoulders with other security agencies in the country. Recent operations by the Corps’ Special Intelligence Squad suggest an institution quietly redefining its role—not through rhetoric or showmanship, but through intelligence-driven enforcement against crimes that often receive less public attention despite their devastating consequences. Nigeria’s security conversation has largely revolved around terrorism, banditry and kidnapping. Yet beneath these headline-grabbing threats lies another category of crime that steadily weakens the nation’s economy: the systematic vandalism of critical infrastructure, illegal mining, arms manufacturing, counterfeiting and the criminal networks that finance them. The recent dismantling of a syndicate responsible for stealing electricity and telecommunications cables across the Federal Capital Territory and neighbouring states illustrates this shift. More importantly, the arrest of suspected major buyers of vandalised materials sends a stronger message than arresting street-level vandals alone. Crime survives because there is a market. As long as industries and middlemen continue to profit from stolen national assets, replacing damaged infrastructure will remain an endless and expensive cycle funded by taxpayers. Targeting buyers rather than merely pursuing thieves reflects a more strategic understanding of organised crime. Equally significant is the court-backed sealing of branches of Inner Galaxy Steel Company and Jiuxing Integrity Industrial Ltd over allegations that vandalised national infrastructure was routinely transported to their facilities for melting. Regardless of how the legal process unfolds, the willingness to investigate corporate actors marks a notable departure from focusing solely on low-level offenders. The same intelligence-led approach is evident in other operations. The discovery of a local arms manufacturing factory in Yobe State, where sophisticated tools and locally fabricated rifles were recovered, highlights an uncomfortable reality: Nigeria’s insecurity is sustained not only by weapons smuggled across borders but also by locally produced firearms feeding insurgency and banditry. The arrest of kidnapping suspects across Kano and Edo, including foreign nationals allegedly operating illegally within Nigeria, reinforces another important lesson. Modern criminal networks are increasingly transnational, demanding stronger intelligence sharing among security agencies and neighbouring countries. Again, there was the interception of fake $600,000 in counterfeit United States currency in Kano. Counterfeiting is often dismissed as a financial crime, yet its implications extend far beyond economics. Such activities fund organised crime, undermine investor confidence and expose weaknesses in border security and financial oversight. The Corps’ increasing attention to illegal mining also deserves recognition. This is because Illegal mining has evolved into one of Nigeria’s most overlooked security threats. Beyond environmental degradation and revenue loss, mining sites have become recruitment grounds for armed groups and criminal syndicates. Arresting suspects and reclaiming illegal mining locations is therefore as much a security intervention as it is an economic one. Still, impressive arrest figures alone should not become the benchmark for success. Nigeria is targeting ₦30 trillion ($21 billion) in annual revenue from its domestic solid minerals industry by 2030, as part of efforts to diversify the economy away from oil. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, through its mining marshals, has been working to support this target. Between January and June 5, 2026, the mining marshals arrested 138 suspects linked to illegal mining activities. Of these, 91 suspects were formally charged to court across 12 cases, though none has yet resulted in a conviction. The marshals also identified 133 mining sites nationwide during the period, 59 of which were found to be operating illegally. Of these illegal sites, 26 have so far been cleared or recovered. Likewise, statistics showing hundreds of private guard licences renewed, hundreds of security personnel trained and millions of naira generated through regulatory activities point to institutional growth. However, citizens will ultimately judge the Corps not by internal performance indicators but by safer communities, fewer attacks on infrastructure and successful convictions of high-profile offenders. Another development worth watching is the Corps’ assumption of nationwide VIP protection responsibilities, following the 2025 presidential directive. While expanding operational responsibilities demonstrates growing confidence in the agency, there is also a risk that elite protection could divert manpower from its core mandate of safeguarding critical national assets and infrastructure. The planned recruitment of additional personnel and ongoing weapons training for over 1,000 officers will however help bridge that gap. Yet recruitment without sustained investment in intelligence gathering, forensic capabilities, surveillance technology and inter-agency coordination would merely increase numbers without significantly improving outcomes. Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of these recent operations is the apparent transition from reactive policing to intelligence-led proactive disruption of criminal ecosystems. Neutralising armed suspects during operations may generate dramatic headlines. But dismantling illegal supply chains, exposing financiers, identifying buyers of stolen assets and disrupting organised criminal networks produces longer-lasting security gains. Nigeria’s security challenges are too complex for any single agency to solve. However, every institution that effectively targets the economic foundations of organised crime contributes meaningfully to national stability. If the NSCDC sustains this intelligence-driven momentum while ensuring transparency, respect for due process and stronger prosecution of suspects, it could gradually transform from an agency often underestimated into one of Nigeria’s most consequential institutions in the protection of critical national assets. *Israel Fagbemigun, a communication strategist, writes from Abuja