Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has deployed 4,393 officers and men to clamp down on criminal activities during the Christmas celebrations in Lagos and Delta states.
Of the total number, 3,100 personnel were deployed in Lagos, while 1,293 were posted to Delta State. The Lagos State Commandant, Mr Adedotun Keshinro, said the officers were strategically deployed to key tactical locations, including patrol points, beats, relaxation spots, recreational parks, markets, worship centres, religious gatherings, rights of way, and critical national assets and infrastructure, in line with the National Protection Policy Strategy.
He added that deployments also covered remote, coastal and riverine areas across the state. Keshinro said the exercise was aimed at protecting all citizens and Very Important Persons (VIPs), in line with directives from the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to him, the personnel were drawn from various departments and units of the command, including Operations, Intelligence and Investigation, Anti-Vandal, Armed Squad, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives (CBRNE) Unit, Area Commands and Divisions, Quick Intervention Squad (QIS), Special Female Squad (SFS), Agro Rangers, Crisis and Disaster Management, Counter-terrorism, Peace and Conflict Resolution, Marine, Airport, and the Anti-Human Trafficking and Illegal Migration Unit (ATHIMU), among others.
The commandant reassured Lagos residents of the corps’ commitment to ensuring a peaceful and secure environment, free of crimes and activities that could lead to a breakdown of law and order or the vandalisation of critical national assets and infrastructure during the 2025 Christmas and New Year celebrations. He said the command had concluded its Proactive Operational Deployment Strategy in preparation for the festive season and the post-New Year period.
Keshinro stressed the importance of inter-agency and intra-agency collaboration to achieve optimal security and safety outcomes, charging personnel to work harmoniously among themselves and with other security agencies.
He also felicitated with Christians on the celebration of Christmas and urged residents, Nigerians and foreigners alike, to imbibe the virtues of peace and compassion exemplified by Jesus Christ during the yuletide and New Year celebrations.
The commandant expressed appreciation to the Lagos State Government, under the leadership of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and Deputy Governor Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, for their support to the corps during the year.
He also thanked members of the state executive council, strategic partners, sister security agencies, local security networks, community leaders and other stakeholders for their support in achieving operational and administrative excellence.
Keshinro further commended members of the press for their professionalism, balanced reportage and constructive engagement, which he said had contributed to effective information dissemination and a peaceful working relationship with the command.
Similarly, the Delta State Commandant of the NSCDC, Chinedu Igbo, said the scale of the operation was designed to ensure “watertight security” before, during and after the yuletide.
Beyond conventional patrols, Rapid Response and Patrol Teams have been strategically deployed across the state’s three senatorial districts, while the newly reorganised Female Squad teams will conduct routine patrols in major towns throughout the festive period.
Igbo said particular emphasis had been placed on the protection of critical national assets and infrastructure (CNAI), a long-standing security concern in Delta State.
He ordered 24-hour surveillance of oil and gas installations, as well as continuous patrols of the First and Second Niger Bridges—facilities whose disruption would have far-reaching economic and security implications.
While the NSCDC has urged residents to celebrate without fear, the deployment also underscores persistent security challenges that often intensify during festive periods, including armed robbery, vandalism and attacks on infrastructure.
Commandant Igbo reaffirmed the corps’ commitment to working with sister security agencies to clamp down on criminal elements, pledging that miscreants would be “apprehended and brought to book.”
