35 female personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Bauchi State Command have been trained as members of the Special Female Squad to help in tackling frequent attacks and kidnapping of students, rape, human trafficking and other crimes.
The Bauchi State Commandant of the NSCDC, Nurudeen Abdullahi, said at the graduation ceremony of the squad over the weekend that the squad started with only eight officers and later the number was increased to 35.
Abdullahi said: “The Commandant General, in his wisdom, in tackling the kidnapping of students in some parts of the country, abduction of women and children, rape and human trafficking which have become rampant in our societies, brought up the idea of training our female personnel to intervene in some of these issues.”
The State Commandant added that “we had a big challenge because the female officers hid, and we had to start with only eight officers. Later, they began to join and today, we are passing out 35 female officers.
“I commend the initiative of the instructors who made the training very interesting which motivated other female officers to join the squad.”
He then commended the Bauchi State Governor, Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir, for “his support to the security agencies and for creating the atmosphere in which security heads bring out their talents and experiences in tackling security challenges in the State.”
Abdullahi also appreciated other security agencies for the synergy in tackling crime and criminality in the state particularly the 33 Artillery Brigade Bauchi for allowing the NSCDC to use its range for training and to shoot at targets and get experience.
While congratulating the graduands, he charged them to note that, “you have been chosen and trained for a special task to ensure we have a crime-free state,” adding that “the SFS will be deployed to strategic areas of concern including the office of the First Lady.”
In her speech at the occasion, the wife of Bauchi Governor, Aisha, commended the NSCDC for the initiative which has given women an opportunity to contribute to national security.
Mrs Mohammed who was represented by the Chairperson, Bauchi State Orphans and Vulnerable Children, Yelwa Abubakar-Tafawa Balewa, noted that the idea shows that the corps is gender-sensitive and the 30% affirmative derivational principle of the women is accomplished.
According to her, “the idea of training the Special Female Squad was muted out of security challenges bordering the country, most especially, the kidnap of Chibok, Dapchi and a host of others, whose memories remain fresh in our minds.”
Aisha Bala Mohammed added that “therefore, the Special Female Squad personnel were trained to be deployed to various schools in Bauchi State and other strategic places as been enjoyed in FCT, Adamawa, Plateau among other states, in order to curtail the excesses of the ugly situation.
“The effort of the state Commandant in implementing the good initiative of the Commandant General by training these elegant, charming, agile and good-looking young ladies for this onerous task and the desire of the Corps in putting to an end the incessant kidnapping of school students to an end, needs to be commended.”