Nigerian civil defense beefs up security ahead of New Year celebrations

The Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) has deployed 40,000 personnel to beef up security during the New Year celebrations across the nation.

The deployment is to ensure effective coverage, guarantee security of lives and property and hitch-free celebrations, Emmanuel Okeh, a spokesperson for the corps said in a statement on Friday in Abuja, Nigeria's capital city.

He said the exercise also involved sniffer dogs and specialized units such as Counter Terrorism Squad, Special Force, Surveillance team, Emergency and Rescue Team and Ambulances.

He said these would be stationed in strategic places such as highways, airports, praying grounds, parks, recreation centers and other designated areas.

He said the commandant-general had also ordered the immediate deployment of 2,700 personnel to the North-East in addition to the 2,300 earlier deployed to the liberated areas and displaced peoples camps to reassure the people of their security.

He charged state Commandants to re-strategize and beef up security in and around the Nation's infrastructure and strategic places perceived to be soft targets for insurgents, vandalism and mischief makers.

He assured the military and other security agencies of the commitment of the corps to synergize with them in sharing Information and Intelligence as well as general operation to ensure the security of the nation.

Nigeria has suffered a string of terror attacks mostly orchestrated by Boko Haram that has proved to be a major security threat in Nigeria since 2009. The terror group has killed hundreds of people in the last three months in many village attacks across three states in the northeast region. Endit