Personality in Focus
Godfathers Are Problem of Vandalism, and We Will Flush Them Out – Ayeni PK, NSCDC Commandant
The Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Paul Kolawole Ayeni has said that godfathers are the major problem of vandalism in the country, adding that the Corps will not relent in its fight against vandalism, vandals and their godfathers.
P.K Ayeni stated this during a courtesy visit by the executive members of the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP) led by its President, Mr. Samson Oki.
The Commandant expressed happiness with the visit, praising the Association’s and media bodies’ unbiased reportage of security and other related news.
While pledging the Corps’ unrelenting support and cooperation with the media, he vowed not to relent in his efforts to reduce vandalism to the barest minimum, stating categorically that he hates, with a passion, vandals and vandalism.
“This people make governance very difficult, and deprive the people of accessing democracy dividends by the way they siphon petroleum products and infrastructural facilities installed by the government for the benefit of the people,” he said.
He frowned at any security agent colluding with vandals, saying the harm the vandals do is far more greater than whatever you will collect from them.
Take for instance, they bribe you with one million naira, they will syphon fuel of 800 million worth of oil. Who is the loser? So here, all we do is flush them out, and we will never cooperate with criminals,” he blurted.
Ayeni added that beyond the vandals that commit the atrocities, there are notable individuals in the society who are their godfathers and support their nefarious activities.
“I say it again, I hate vandals and I tell anyone that cares to listen never to engage in vandalism, because the NSCDC I head in Lagos will not spare them. However, we are facing the greater challenge of godfathers behind these vandals protecting them. These people are notable in the society, but we are leaving no stone unturned to fish them out, and prosecute them,” the Commandant promised.
Earlier, the President of NAOSNP, Mr. Oki, had expressed satisfaction at the efforts the Lagos Command under PK Ayeni has put in so far to address the issue of vandalism and siphoning of the nation’s natural resources for selfish and criminal use.
Recounting that the Commandant was posted to Lagos at the peak of the ENDSARS crisis, Oki acknowledged that the Commandant handled the affairs professional with little or no casualties. He noted as well that NSCDC has come of age, and recorded landmark achievements in the right months Ayeni has held sway as the helmsman in Lagos.
“I must say that you have proved yourself a worthy administrator, and have carved yourself a worthy image since you came on board. NAOSNP congratulates you on the lofty heights you have created, and will continue to partner with you and the Corps in the reportage of well researched and investigated stories and news,” Oki said.
He further lamented the place of fake news as the original harbinger of most of the crises the country has experienced in recent times, especially the spill over of the EndSARS crisis of October, 2020.
Also speaking, the Public Relations Officer of the Association, Mr. Eric Elezuo, praised the magnanimous efforts of the Lagos Command, adding that they have performed beyond expectation, adding that notwithstanding, a lot still need to be done to further perfect and cement what has been achieved, especially in the area of publicity.
“The reward for hard work is more work. So continue to do what you are doing, and do not relent in flushing out enemies of the society, who call themselves vandals, and their co-travelers in the name of godfathers. We, the media in general, and NAOSNP in particular are solidly behind you,” Elezuo said.
In his remarks, the Chief Administration Officer of the Corps, Deputy Commandant Paul Shomide, appreciated the Association for the visit, saying the Corps cherishes partnership with the media, and will continue to keep the relationship with NAOSNP alive for more achievements.
Shomide recalled that the period when the Police down tools as a result of victimisation occasion by the EndSARS protests, it was the NSCDC under Ayeni that held the society together.
Commandant Ayeni also reiterated the Corps’ commitment to work effectively with the media so that the corporate goal and objective of NSCDC will be met saying “the better the organisation is known, the greater it is appreciated. We cannot do without the media”.
The NSCDC is a paramilitary organisation, established by the Nigeria Government to help in putting a stop on vandalism of national facilities and stealing of petroleum products along pipeline routes among others.
The Executive Secretary/CEO of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Dr. Ayodele Ogunsan, has congratulated the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, on the occasion of his birthday, commending his visionary leadership and reform-driven approach to policing in Nigeria.
In his birthday remarks, Dr. Ogunsan described the IGP as a “distinguished officer whose career has consistently reflected professionalism, courage, and a deep commitment to public safety.”
He noted that since assuming office as the 23rd Inspector-General of Police early this Year 2026, Disu has demonstrated a clear resolve to reposition the Nigeria Police Force towards greater efficiency and public trust.
Dr. Ogunsan particularly praised the IGP’s emphasis on intelligence-led policing, a strategy aimed at enhancing proactive crime detection and prevention, as well as his push for the integration of digital tools and forensic capabilities into police operations. These reforms, he said, signal a shift towards modern, accountable, and citizen-focused policing.
He further highlighted Disu’s decisive steps to strengthen the state policing agenda and officers’ welfare. He praised him for the effective policing model through the restructuring and reduction of tactical units, a move designed to address concerns over excesses while redeploying personnel to police divisions for improved community-level security.
The LSSTF boss also acknowledged the IGP’s consistent advocacy for discipline, integrity, and professionalism within the Force, noting that such values are critical to restoring public confidence and enhancing institutional credibility.
Reflecting on his track record, Dr. Ogunsan recalled Disu’s impactful leadership roles across key commands, including the Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory Commands, where he contributed significantly to crime control and intelligence-driven operations.
His tenure as the Commander of the Rapid Response Squad in Lagos is a testament to his operational excellence and urban crime management.
Ogunsan wished the IGP good health, wisdom, and continued success in his efforts to build a more secure Nigeria. “On this special occasion, we celebrate not only a remarkable leader but a reformer whose vision continues to inspire confidence in the security architecture of our nation,” Ogunsan said.
Terrorists in northeast Nigeria killed a brigadier general in an assault on a military base, a local government chairman told AFP on Thursday, the second killing of a high-ranking officer in five months.
Africa’s most populous country has been fighting a terrorist insurgency for 17 years, since Boko Haram’s 2009 uprising, which has seen the emergence of powerful splinter groups, including Islamic State West Africa Province.
In an overnight attack, unidentified terrorists killed at least 18 soldiers and torched vehicles at a base in Benisheikh, about 75 kilometres from Borno state capital Maiduguri, an intelligence source told AFP.
“Unfortunately, the brigade commander, Brigadier General O.O. Braimah, lost his life,” Kaga Local Government Chairman Zannah Lawan Ajimi told AFP in a phone interview.
Two intelligence sources confirmed Braimah’s death to AFP.
His death follows the killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba by ISWAP in November. He was the highest-ranking military official to die in the long-running conflict since 2021.
“They overran the brigade,” one of the intelligence sources said, giving the death toll as “at least” 18.
The second intelligence source said that “the terrorists killed several troops” and “burnt vehicles and buildings before they withdrew,” without giving a toll.
The army and Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
– Rising terrorist violence –
Researchers have warned of an uptick of violence since 2025.
Borno capital Maiduguri has seen two suicide bombings since December — the type of bloody, urban attacks reminiscent of the insurgency’s peak a decade ago.
On Wednesday, the US State Department said in a notice it was authorising “non-emergency US government employees” to leave Abuja “due to the deteriorating security situation”.
While the insurgency is concentrated in the northeastern countryside, terrorists from Nigeria and the neighbouring Sahel have made inroads western Nigeria, where organised crime gangs known as “bandits” have been raiding villages and extorting farmers and artisanal miners for years.
Gunmen killed at least 90 people across several remote villages in northwest Nigeria this week, according to an AFP tally of tolls given by local and humanitarian sources.
Among the attacks was an assault in Kebbi state that police blamed a local terrorist group known as Mahmuda, which is affiliated with Al-Qaeda.
Kebbi sits on Nigeria’s border with Benin and Niger and since 2025 has been targeted by a rising number of terrorist attacks.
Conflict monitor ACLED says there has been a surge in violence in the area carried out by militants affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
In nearby Kwara state, in October, fighters from the Al-Qaeda-affiliated JNIM claimed an attack after years of researchers warning that the terrorist conflict ravaging the Sahel risked spreading south towards coastal West African states.
In December, the United States, with Nigerian assistance, bombed northwest Sokoto state, targeting Islamic State Sahel Province fighters usually found in neighbouring Niger, along with Mali and Burkina Faso.
AFP
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the 2023 Labour Party governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has argued that President Bola Tinubu has no pathway to re-election in 2027.
Rhodes-Vivour, who appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, said data from credible polls indicate that Tinubu will not win next year’s presidential election.
“I have looked at data, we have polling that is going on now, credible polling — there is no pathway for the president to emerge victorious, that is why we are seeing all these shenanigans,” he said.
He added: “There is no pathway for him. When you look at the North that gave him 62 per cent of his votes, you see the tsunami that is happening in the North. You have a president that created a government system that is just for the city boys. It is a city boys’ government. It’s not even a proper South-West government; it’s his cronies that are just in charge.”
The Lagos politician blamed the president for the crisis affecting opposition parties, including the ADC.
According to him, having assessed that the odds are against him ahead of the 2027 polls, the president is resorting to instigating crises within opposition ranks as a strategy to retain power.
“So, the best pathway is to create an environment where he is the only candidate on the ballot for the presidency. That is what he is trying to achieve, but he is not going to succeed,” he said.
Last week, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) removed the names of David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as chairman and secretary of the ADC from its portal, citing a court order to maintain the status quo.
The party has faulted INEC’s decision, alleging that the electoral body misinterpreted the court order. Since then, the ADC leadership has held a world press conference to reject the move.
Earlier on Tuesday, prominent members of the party staged a “Save Nigeria Democracy” protest at INEC headquarters in Abuja. Among those present were Peter Obi; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi; former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; former President of the Senate, David Mark; former Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola; and former Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, among others.
Hundreds of supporters, including members of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, also participated in the protest.
