The Coalition of Civil Societies (CCS), Abuja, has fiercely condemned what it described as a sustained, calculated, and malicious media onslaught against the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), targeting in particular the leadership of the Corps under its Commandant General, Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, mni, OFR.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Thursday, the National Coordinator of the Coalition, Sunday Attah, denounced recent online publications alleging non-payment of promotion arrears and diversion of personnel welfare funds as outright falsehoods, deliberate misinformation, and a reckless attempt to sabotage the integrity of the NSCDC.
Attah described the publication dated January 23, 2026, as part of a coordinated campaign of calumny designed to mislead the public, sow disaffection within the Corps, and weaken confidence in a leadership that has demonstrably prioritised reform, transparency, and personnel welfare.
“The Coalition will not stand by while faceless interests weaponise the media to blackmail a critical national security institution. These repeated, unfounded attacks are not journalism; they are acts of institutional sabotage with dangerous consequences,” the statement said.
The Coalition stressed that issues relating to the payment of salary arrears, promotion arrears, and other emoluments of paramilitary personnel are not within the unilateral control of the NSCDC leadership. Rather, such payments are administered through the Presidential Committee on Arrears, chaired by the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation and the Accountant-General of the Federation.
According to the Coalition, verifiable records show that upon assuming office in 2021, the current Commandant General inherited over five years of unpaid arrears. Instead of evading responsibility, the leadership actively engaged relevant government institutions, resulting in the clearance of arrears covering 2015 to 2019—benefiting more than 37,000 NSCDC personnel across the country.
The statement further disclosed that arrears for the 2020–2022 period have been fully processed and approved by the appropriate authorities and are currently awaiting fund release for disbursement. Meanwhile, arrears for 2023–2024 are pending presidential approval and budgetary release, in line with established government procedures.
On promotion arrears, the Coalition explained that the 2025 promotion examination results were only released in December 2025, making current claims of diversion not only dishonest but intellectually insulting. Necessary budgetary and administrative processes, it said, are already underway.
Attah commended the NSCDC leadership for maintaining openness, accountability, and steady engagement with relevant authorities despite relentless provocation, warning that attempts to cyberbully or blackmail the Corps must be collectively resisted.
“The media must decide whether it stands for truth or allows itself to be hired as a blunt instrument of character assassination. Ethical journalism demands verification, not vendetta,” the statement added.
The Coalition also urged NSCDC personnel not to be distracted by propaganda, assuring them that the leadership of the Corps remains committed to securing the release and payment of all legitimate entitlements.
“The truth is stubborn. No amount of manufactured outrage or digital noise can erase the facts,” the Coalition concluded.
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