The Edo State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps on Friday held an emergency stakeholders’ meeting to deliberate on better ways to safeguard critical national information infrastructure in the state.

 Addressing the meeting, the state Commandant, Saidi Akintayo, said the engagement was to “deliberate on pressing issues that affect the safety, stability, and resilience of our critical infrastructure.”

 Mr Akintayo also said that the corps’ mandate is to protect key physical and digital assets, such as power installations, data centres, communication masts, and transport systems.

 He stated, “Our responsibility includes safeguarding physical facilities from vandalism, sabotage, and unauthorised access. We also conduct continuous threat analysis to identify vulnerabilities and develop proactive mitigation strategies before they escalate into crisis.’’ 

The commandant underscored the importance of collaboration, intelligence-sharing, and synergy across sectors to effectively curb rising threats.

 He stated, “We will continue to engage stakeholders, develop capacity among our personnel, and deploy innovative strategies to prevent acts of vandalism, sabotage, or cyber threats that may endanger national security. The complex and evolving nature of threats – whether physical, technological, or cyber – requires strong partnerships among government agencies, private organisations, security operatives, and the public.’’ 

He also said that the meeting provided a platform “to share ideas, coordinate actions, and develop a strategic roadmap that will enhance the resilience of infrastructure in Edo and beyond.” 

In a remark, the Assistant General Manager of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Benin Region, Olusesi Ariyibi, commended NSCDC for consistently responding whenever the commission’s facilities were vandalised.

 “This kind of synergy is good because if there are issues affecting any sector, they can easily know who to reach to address them,” Mr Ariyibi said.

 He warned the public to desist from tampering with TCN’s towers, pointing out that vandalism can lead to power outages, loss of lives, and destruction of property.

 MTN Security Supervisor, Endurance Iyamu, also applauded the initiative, urging scrap dealers to work closely with telecom operators to protect fibre optic cables from vandalism.

 “We need scrap dealers to collaborate in protecting our fibre lines to avoid communication disruptions,” Iyamu said.

 A representative of the Arewa Scrap Dealers Association, Sani Muhammed, said the group had begun to profile its members “to distinguish legitimate operators from vandals.”

Mr Muhammed said, “We will take what we have learnt here and enlighten our members on how to protect critical assets in the state,”

Chairman of the Heavy Truck Owners, Marketers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria in Edo State, Sarahaisu Musa, commended the corps for convening the meeting.

 Mr Musa said that the meeting would help members to better identify suspicious activities.

He stated, “We have already instructed our members across the state to be vigilant and raise the alarm when someone engages them to transport questionable scrap items.’’

 The meeting was attended by representatives of the Edo State Ministry of Communication, major telecom operators, including MTN, Airtel, Glo and Smile, amongst others.

(NAN)