Reported by Weng Patrick Atokor l Journalist at Weng Global
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Anambra State has warned its personnel against extortion, abuse of authority, misconduct and actions that violate the fundamental rights of citizens.
The warning, issued by the Anambra State Commandant, Olatunde Maku, during a muster parade at the command headquarters in Awka on Monday, October 5, 2026, goes beyond an internal disciplinary instruction. It raises an important issue about the relationship between security agencies and the people they are legally empowered to protect.
Maku said the command would not tolerate misconduct, high-handedness or abuse of power by its personnel. He directed officers to operate within the Corps’ standard operating procedures and applicable laws, while warning that personnel found responsible for indiscipline, misuse of authority or infringement of citizens’ rights would face disciplinary action.
The commandant also tasked senior officers, including heads of departments and units, area commanders and divisional officers, with strengthening supervision and ensuring that personnel under their command comply with operational guidelines.
But what does this mean for ordinary people in Anambra?
Why the warning matters
Security officers exercise powers that ordinary citizens do not have.
The NSCDC is a federal paramilitary organisation with responsibilities that include protecting lives and property, safeguarding critical national infrastructure, preventing crime, responding to emergencies and supporting internal security.
Under the NSCDC Act and its amendments, the Corps also has powers to arrest, detain, investigate and institute legal proceedings in accordance with the law. Its official mandate therefore gives its personnel significant responsibilities and enforcement powers.
Those powers come with corresponding responsibilities.
An officer’s authority is not a licence to intimidate, harass, extort or arbitrarily mistreat members of the public. Security powers are expected to be exercised within the law and according to the Corps’ operational rules.
That is the central message behind Maku’s latest warning.
What is extortion in this context?
Extortion generally involves obtaining money, property or another benefit through coercion, threats or misuse of authority.
For a security institution, allegations of extortion can be particularly serious because citizens may feel unable to resist demands from officers who possess legal powers of arrest, detention or enforcement.
A person stopped by an officer, for example, may not know whether an instruction is lawful, whether a payment is officially required or whether refusal could lead to intimidation or detention.
This imbalance of power makes professional conduct especially important.
Maku’s warning therefore places responsibility on NSCDC personnel to ensure that the authority attached to their uniforms and positions is not converted into personal advantage.
Security powers do not remove citizens’ rights
Nigeria’s Constitution recognises a range of fundamental rights.
Chapter IV of the Constitution provides for rights including the right to life, dignity of the human person, personal liberty, fair hearing, privacy, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and freedom of movement, subject to constitutional limitations.
This is important because citizens do not lose their fundamental rights simply because they encounter a security officer.
At the same time, constitutional rights are not absolute in every circumstance. Nigerian law provides circumstances in which certain rights can be restricted, particularly in connection with lawful security and criminal-justice processes.
The key issue is therefore lawfulness.
A security officer may have legitimate authority to perform an arrest or conduct an investigation where the law permits it. But the existence of that authority does not automatically make every action taken during the process lawful.
This distinction is central to understanding Maku’s warning.
Why professionalism is important for security agencies
Security agencies depend heavily on public cooperation.
Residents provide information about suspected criminals, suspicious activities, threats to infrastructure and other security concerns. Communities also cooperate with officers during emergencies and security operations.
When members of the public believe that security personnel may abuse their authority or demand illegal payments, that relationship can weaken.
People may become reluctant to report incidents. Witnesses may avoid cooperating with investigations. Communities may lose confidence in security institutions.
That is why accountability is not simply an internal administrative issue.
It can directly affect public safety.
The NSCDC itself states that one of its objectives is to build public confidence through efficient and credible service delivery. Its official service charter describes the Corps’ mission in terms of protecting lives and property while restoring public confidence in security institutions.
What does the NSCDC expect from its officers?
Maku’s instructions contain several important expectations.
1. Officers must follow the law
The commandant directed personnel to operate within the Corps’ standard operating procedures and existing laws.
This means officers are expected to understand the legal framework governing their duties rather than relying simply on personal discretion.
2. Officers must respect human rights
Maku specifically warned against infringement of the fundamental rights of members of the public.
The National Human Rights Commission identifies dignity, personal liberty, fair hearing, privacy, expression, peaceful assembly, movement and freedom from discrimination among Nigeria’s fundamental human rights.
Respect for these rights is particularly important during arrests, investigations, enforcement operations and interactions with members of the public.
3. Officers must avoid abuse of authority
The commandant warned against misuse of authority and high-handedness.
This is significant because security officers operate from a position of institutional power. The public expects that power to be used for legitimate security purposes rather than personal interests.
4. Senior officers must supervise their personnel
Maku did not place responsibility only on individual operatives.
He also directed heads of departments and units, area commanders and divisional officers to strengthen command and control and properly supervise personnel under them.
That introduces an important principle of institutional accountability: preventing misconduct requires not only punishing individual officers after an incident but also ensuring effective supervision before problems occur.
Is this the first time Maku has raised the issue?
The October warning is consistent with previous directives from Maku concerning professionalism and compliance with operational rules.
In September 2026, the Anambra NSCDC commandant warned officers assigned to VIP protection duties to comply with operational guidelines, respect human rights and avoid illegal assignments.
Earlier in 2026, he also warned personnel that lapses in duty, indiscipline and poor performance would not be overlooked and emphasised compliance with standard operating procedures and rules of engagement.
The repeated emphasis suggests that the command is placing discipline and professional conduct among its priorities.
However, a warning by itself does not establish that a particular pattern of abuse exists.
The latest report does not provide specific cases of extortion or rights violations against individual officers. It should therefore be understood as a directive from the command rather than evidence that every NSCDC officer in Anambra is involved in misconduct.
That distinction matters.
What should citizens understand about NSCDC powers?
Citizens should understand that NSCDC personnel have legitimate enforcement responsibilities.
The Corps’ official information states that its officers have powers under the NSCDC Act to arrest with or without a warrant, detain and investigate within the scope of the law. The Corps is also responsible for protecting critical national assets and infrastructure and supporting public safety.
However, citizens should also understand that security authority operates within a legal framework.
An officer having a uniform or official position does not mean every demand made by that officer is automatically lawful.
The practical lesson is that both sides have responsibilities: security personnel must exercise their powers professionally and lawfully, while citizens should cooperate with legitimate security operations and use lawful channels to challenge misconduct.
Why public trust is the bigger issue
The most important issue raised by the Anambra directive may ultimately be public trust.
A security agency cannot effectively protect communities if the communities it serves do not trust its personnel.
Trust is built through consistent behaviour: officers who act professionally, explain lawful instructions when necessary, treat people with dignity and remain accountable when they make mistakes.
It is also strengthened when agencies investigate credible complaints and discipline personnel found to have violated established rules.
The National Human Rights Commission has repeatedly emphasised the importance of protecting human rights, accountability and the rule of law in Nigeria. Its 2026 assessment of the country’s human-rights situation describes human rights as universal and inalienable and identifies accountability and respect for the law as important elements of human-rights protection.
For security institutions, this means that professionalism should not be viewed as an optional public-relations exercise.
It is part of effective security.
What happens next?
The immediate next step is implementation.
Maku has warned that personnel found culpable of indiscipline, misuse of authority or infringement of citizens’ rights would face disciplinary action under established regulations. He has also placed responsibility on commanders and supervisors to ensure compliance.
The effectiveness of the directive will therefore depend on what happens after the warning.
For the public, the important questions will be whether complaints are taken seriously, whether alleged misconduct is properly investigated and whether officers found responsible are held accountable in accordance with the law.
For the NSCDC, the challenge is to ensure that discipline, respect for human rights and professional conduct remain part of everyday operations rather than only the subject of periodic warnings.
Weng Global Explain
The NSCDC’s latest warning in Anambra is ultimately about more than officers avoiding extortion or misconduct.
It is about how state security powers should be exercised in a constitutional democracy.
Security personnel have important responsibilities and lawful powers. Citizens also have fundamental rights that must be respected.
The two principles are not supposed to compete.
Effective security requires both.
For Anambra residents, the practical message is clear: legitimate security operations should be supported, but the exercise of security authority must remain within the law. For NSCDC personnel, Maku’s directive places the responsibility firmly on officers and their commanders to ensure that the power entrusted to them is exercised with professionalism, accountability and respect for human dignity.
The credibility of a security institution is ultimately measured not only by the arrests it makes or the infrastructure it protects, but also by how it treats the people it is established to serve.
Weng Global – Stories beyond borders
Sources
- Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) — NSCDC Act and official mandate.
- Punch Newspapers — Report on the October 5, 2026 warning by Anambra NSCDC Commandant Olatunde Maku.
- Peoples Gazette / News Agency of Nigeria — Report on the NSCDC warning against indiscipline and rights abuse in Anambra.
- National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) — Fundamental human rights under Nigeria’s Constitution.
- National Human Rights Commission — 2026 assessment of the human-rights situation in Nigeria.
