Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Rivers State Command, has deployed over four thousand personnels to beef up security for the Yuletide, in order to ensure a hitch free celebration across the state.
State Commandant Muktar Lawal, who disclosed this to newsmen in Port Harcourt, said Christmas season is usually associated with security challenges such as, kiddnapping, armed robbery, house breaking, drug abuse, cultism, car snatching, vandalism, dangerous driving amongst others.
He further urged the public to shun every criminal activities that will lead to unrest, while assuring Rivers people of maximum security all through the Yuletide.
“We have our personnel deployed to the various recreation centers, places of worship, parks and other identified flash points in the state. Also our medical and Disaster Management Team are on alert to swiftly respond to any distress situation before during and after the yuletide season”
Commandant Lawal however said that in bid to check mate the excesses of oil theft in the state, the command has recorded several achievement in 2019.
“We have arrested a total of Three Hundred and Six (306) suspects this year, Thirty one (31) Trucks and fifteen (15) vehicles all loaded with suspected stolen petroleum products.
” The corps also arrested Two (2) Tugboats, Two (2) barges, and one (1) Vessel conveying suspected adulterated vandalized products within the year 2019.
“Agro Allied Rangers Team was statutorily assigned and inaugurated in NSCDC to provide security to those sectors that are responsible for using cultural resources to produce consumer goods.
“With the coming of Agro Allied Rangers Team, you hardly hear of herdsmen and farmers clash in the state, this is as a result of the rigorous enlightenment campaigns embarked upon by the corps among the herdsmen and host communities on need for peaceful coexistence.
“The activities of the Agro Allied Rangers team have gone a long way in ensuring that the Federal Government’s project on diversification of Nigerian economy through agriculture succeeds.
So far this Unit has been able to mediate in disputes between herdsmen and some communities in the state”
He stressed that the corps has performed excellently well in fulfilling the core mandate as far as disaster management is concerned in this state.
“It is pertinent to note that the corps is always the first to be at most disaster scenes in the state to mitigate, rehabilitate and prosecute crises situations, notably, the corps participated actively in crowd and traffic control and fire outbreak controls during emergency.
“The activities of the corps in relation to the operation of Private Security Guards Company in the state cannot be over emphasized, considering the various trainings and retraining of the Private security guards to their monitoring and supervisions to ensure no quarks thrives in this state.
“The Command has been able to train 193 guards from 45 licensed Private Security Guards Companies in the state this year 2019”
Lawal noted that the clampdown on illegal operators in the state yielded a positive result with a total of 195 PGCs in the state.
“We have 110 PGC operators with their Head office here in Rivers state and 85 PGCs with their branch offices in the state.
According to him, the success of the Peace and conflict resolution unit of the command cannot be over emphasized as civil cases were constantly tackled and mediatory measures put in place to settle civil cases.
“The corps through its PCR unit has contributed immensely to reduction in litigation. It has successfully resolved 151 cases, ranging from family/ marital matters, indebtedness/ breach of contract, land related matters, herdsmen/ farmer related matters, interpersonal and other related issues.
He also state that the command has had robust cordial relationship with the state government and sister security agencies in Rivers.
He added that the successes recorded were possible as a result of media support and collaboration with the Corps.
