The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has denied allegation of interfering in the activities of the Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN).
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had declared the clamp down on the Peace Corps by NSCDC as illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional.
The court also barred the corps from interfering in the lawful activities of the Peace Corps in the 36 states of the federation and Abuja.
The corps Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr Emmanuel Okeh, said this on Wednesday in Abuja in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.
Okeh said the corps was only following directives from the Minister of Interior to checkmate the activities of the PCN personnel operating as illegal private security guards.
He said that NSCDC discovered that personnel of the Peace Corps were illegally deployed to guard some locations.
“Their personnel were deployed to guard schools, shopping centres, businesses and some offices, which is the job of private security guard companies,“he said.
The spokesman said that the peace corps was asked to register with the NSCDC before they could operate as private guards.
He said that it was the responsibility of corps to regulate and monitor the activities of private guards in the country.
“When you begin to send your personnel to engage in guard duties, you have encroached into the job of private security guards companies,
“It is one of our mandates to checkmate the activities of private guard companies and that is what we are doing.” he said.
Responding, the PCN, National Commandant, Dr Dickson Akoh, said that there had been a gross misconception between the activities of private security guard companies and officers of the PCN posted to guard locations.
“We don’t operate as private guards in schools, we operate as officers posted to schools to monitor the conduct of students, enforce discipline and ensure students conform to school rules and regulations.
“The functions of private guards involve security, which is different from what we do,” he said.
The PCN boss said that the corps would not be registered as a private guard company.
“We are not registered under the same law that established private guards but we are a voluntary uniform youth organisation,” he said.
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