President Bola Tinubu has approved the reappointment of Ahmed Abubakar Audi as the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for a fresh five-year term.
The renewal of Audi’s tenure took effect on Friday, February 27, 2026, following the expiration of his initial five-year mandate.
According to a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President, Information and Strategy, he is expected to formally resume duties on Monday with what the Presidency described as a renewed mandate to reposition the Corps for greater national impact.
Audi was first appointed to lead the NSCDC in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
His first term concluded as he participated in activities marking the 2026 World Civil Defence Day at the Corps’ National Headquarters in Abuja.
Tinubu charged the NSCDC boss to strengthen and reposition the paramilitary agency to assume a more prominent role in Nigeria’s evolving security architecture.
The President’s directive comes at a time when the Nigeria Police Force is expected to refocus on its core mandate of protecting citizens from banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism.
The renewed confidence in Audi signals the administration’s endorsement of his leadership and its expectation that the Corps will deepen its operational footprint in critical national assignments, including the protection of critical infrastructure and support for internal security operations.
Born on September 30, 1967, in Laminga Town, Nasarawa Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Audi began his educational journey within the state before proceeding to Teachers’ College, Jengre, Plateau State, where he earned a Teachers’ Grade II Certificate in 1987. He later obtained a Nigeria Certificate in Education from the College of Education, Akwanga, in 1992.
He attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Physical and Health Education in 1995. He subsequently earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Calabar in 2001.
Audi expanded his academic credentials with a PhD in Public Administration from Nasarawa State University in 2014, and later obtained a Master’s in Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice from Ahmadu Bello University in 2019.
His career in the NSCDC began in November 1996 when he joined as a volunteer. After completing basic officer training in 1997, he was deployed as a Divisional Officer in Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. Over the years, he served across various state commands, rising steadily through the ranks.
In 2007, he was promoted to the rank of Commandant and posted to the Office of the Commandant-General at the Corps’ National Headquarters in Abuja, marking a turning point in his ascent within the organisation.
