President Bola Tinubu has reappointed Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi as Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), granting him a new five-year tenure.
The reappointment, effective Friday, February 27, was announced on Saturday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. Dr. Audi’s renewed mandate follows the completion of his first five-year term, which began in 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Dr. Audi concluded his initial tenure last Friday while participating in activities marking the 2026 World Civil Defence Day at the NSCDC National Headquarters in Abuja. He is scheduled to officially resume duties on Monday with the renewed mandate.
President Tinubu charged Dr. Audi with repositioning the NSCDC to play a more strategic role in Nigeria’s evolving security architecture, particularly as the police focus on addressing banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism.
Born on September 30, 1967, in Laminga Town, Nasarawa State, Dr. Audi holds a Teachers’ Grade II Certificate, a Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) from the College of Education, Akwanga, and a bachelor’s degree in Physical and Health Education from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Reports indicate that Dr. Audi did not formally hand over to the most senior Deputy Commandant-General, Nnamdi Nwinyi, following the end of his first tenure. Sources say the handover did not take place due to alleged disagreements over protocol and ethnic considerations, as Nwinyi is from Nigeria’s South-East region. Nwinyi currently heads the Intelligence and Investigation department at the NSCDC headquarters.
Civil service and paramilitary tradition stipulate that the most senior officer assumes leadership in an acting capacity when a chief executive retires, pending a substantive appointment. Audi’s refusal to follow this protocol reportedly caused tensions at the NSCDC national headquarters in Abuja.
Dr. Audi first assumed office on March 1, 2021, under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
