A paramilitary force is a group of civilians organized militarily mainly to operate in place of or assist regular army troops. Unlike military forces that protect the country from external threats, paramilitary forces protect the country’s citizens from internal violence. According to Miriam Adah, Doctoral Researcher in Defence and Strategic Studies at the Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna, these forces play a crucial role in border control, crisis response, and maintaining law and order. Here is a list of paramilitary forces in Nigeria and their duties......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
The high rate of insecurity in Nigeria has created the need for several paramilitary organizations. These organizations help maintain law and order, ensure the safety and peace of its citizens, protect the country’s borders, and support the Nigerian military internally.
List of paramilitary forces in Nigeria
What does the paramilitary do? They support law enforcement and military operations. They often focus on internal security, law enforcement, and maintaining public order. Below is the complete list of the main paramilitary forces in Nigeria and their functions.
1. The Nigerian Police Force (NPF)
The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) is Nigeria’s primary security and law enforcement agency. It is a vast organization meant to protect citizens and their interests. Some of the main functions include:
2. The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)
The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) is a formation of the Nigerian National Assembly. The paramilitary institution was established in May 1967 during the Nigerian civil war. Below are some of their primary roles.
3. The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS)
The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) is a paramilitary organization established to provide adequate border security and migration management. Here are their roles.
4. The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS)
The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) is a paramilitary organization under the supervision of the Nigerian Ministry of Finance. It is concerned with the well-being of its employees throughout all regions of Nigeria. Here are some of the NCS functions.
5. The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCOS)
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCOS), formerly known as the Nigerian Prison Service (NPS), is a government agency in Nigeria that operates prisons. It is the mandate to ensure the safety and orderly functioning of the jails and comply with international human rights standards. Here are some of its primary functions.
6. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is a paramilitary agency in Nigeria that is in charge of drug policy and control. They often target airports and other points where people may cross the border. Their roles include:
7. The Federal Fire Service (FFS)
The Federal Fire Service (FFS) is the principal agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria, established by an Act of Parliament. Their functions include:
8. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC)
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) is a paramilitary organization mandated by law to check vehicles on Nigerian roads. It is empowered by law to carry out routine checks on all vehicles on major routes in Nigeria. Check out their functions below.
9. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is a paramilitary in Nigeria charged with enforcing all economic and financial crimes laws in the country. Here are some of the EFCC roles.
How do paramilitary forces differ from the military?
Miriam Adah, Doctoral Researcher in Defence and Strategic Studies at the Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna, explained in an interview that paramilitary forces in Nigeria are structured similarly to the military but have a more civilian-oriented mandate. Miriam said:
The military forces are tasked with suppressing insurrection and maintaining the country’s territorial integrity, while the paramilitary forces may provide some support in other aspects of such operations.
For instance, military exercises in different theatres always comprise several components outside of the regular military, and these components are put together based on the peculiarities of conflict.Theatres in the Northeast and Northwest would also include the Nigeria Customs and Nigeria Immigration components to oversee aspects that pertain to the core mandate of their services.
This is to say that while the paramilitary is organized like the military, their mandate and functions pertain to less militarized aspects of security than what the regular military is concerned with.
Key challenges faced by paramilitary forces in Nigeria
Miriam said that despite the crucial roles of paramilitary agencies in Nigeria, they face several challenges, including:
Funding is a challenge that permeates almost every sector in the country, and despite that security is allocated a huge chunk of the budget, the allocation assigned to the paramilitary services is less than that of the armed forces.
Personnel welfare and security could be lumped underfunding. Staff of these agencies should feel a sense of security and satisfaction from their jobs, and if their welfare is not adequately catered for, it could impinge on their ability to deliver on their jobs.
Security is evolving, and security threats have continued to move from the typical risks that they used to be. As such, it is pertinent to acquire equipment and train personnel to be suited to tackle these challenges.
Some of the mandates of these services are similar, and as such, in the administering of their roles, they may end up providing the services that other agencies are mandated to.
Such instances could lead to rivalry and competition instead of collaboration among the agencies. Dire consequences like hoarding intelligence and other important information that may come at a cost to the country could result from such competition.
Nigeria’s paramilitary structure compared to other countries
Miriam explains how Nigeria’s paramilitary structure compares to other countries with similar needs:
India, which has a large population that is multi-ethnic and has encountered insurgency, has ten paramilitary forces, each assigned functions that are peculiar to the country’s security needs. Ethiopia had at least 10 regional security bodies until two years ago when the federal government committed to absorbing these bodies into the federal or regional police or the national defense force.
Like Nigeria and India, Ethiopia is a multiethnic state and has had multiple security challenges, some of which it still faces to date. Nigeria’s paramilitary structure shares more similarities with India, in the sense that the agencies in Nigeria are tasked with different mandates, each addressing a different problem.
Interestingly, not all of Nigeria’s paramilitary services are permitted to carry weapons. The FRSC and FFS are unarmed units and all the agencies and units are centralized unlike in Ethiopia where the regional security bodies drew their authority from the regional governments and not the federal.
Is Man O’ War a paramilitary in Nigeria?
Yes. It is a voluntary paramilitary organization founded in 1951 in Nigeria. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that it was established by the Federal Government through the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre Act as empowered by its enabling ordinance. It is a viable and potent force in promoting the center’s ideals and mobilizing youth at the grass-roots level.
Is the police a paramilitary in Nigeria?
The Nigerian Mobile Police (MOPOL) force is the paramilitary arm of the Nigeria Police Force. It operates under orders from the Nigerian Federal government.
Which is the highest-paid paramilitary in Nigeria?
According to Nigerian Waves, the Nigerian Police Force is the highest-paid paramilitary in Nigeria. Salaries range from N108,233 to N8,537,976 annually, or approximately N9,019.42 to N711,498 monthly.
Legit.ng recently published an article about the EFCC recruitment portal. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigates fraud, corruption, and money laundering-related crimes. The chairman of the EFCC is Olanipekun Olukoyede.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was founded in 2002. It advertises job positions and career opportunities from time to time through its recruitment portal. Learn whether they have a recruitment exercise in 2024 in the post.