The Katsina State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has released its comprehensive year-end review for 2025, revealing a year of intense operational activity focused on crime suppression and community mediation. The data provides a granular look at the security landscape in the state, moving beyond headline arrest figures to reveal the mechanisms of modern civil defence work.
Commandant Mr. Abbas Moriki announced that the Command handled a total of 4,230 cases, leading to the arrest of 2,088 suspects. This arrest-to-case ratio suggests a significant investigative and operational tempo. The breakdown of offences offers critical insight into prevalent crime trends:
- Theft (942 arrests): This category, representing nearly half of all arrests, underscores economic pressures and property crime as a primary concern. It likely encompasses everything from petty theft to more organized operations.
- Vandalism (93 arrests): Often targeting public infrastructure like rail tracks, telecom cables, and power installations, these arrests highlight the NSCDC’s mandated role in protecting critical national assets and infrastructure—a core function that distinguishes it from other agencies.
- Possession of Illicit Drugs (272 arrests): This significant number points to the NSCDC’s involvement in combating the drug trade, which is frequently a catalyst for other violent and property crimes, fueling insecurity at a community level.
- Assault (26 arrests) & Sundry Offences (755 arrests): The latter category, including “breach of trust and thuggery,” reveals the Command’s role in addressing social disorder and intra-community conflicts that, if left unchecked, can escalate into more serious violence.
Perhaps more revealing than the arrests is the Command’s massive investment in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). With 4,767 disputes successfully resolved and another 1,158 in process, the NSCDC is functioning as a frontline peace-building institution. This proactive mediation in matters like landlord-tenant disagreements, family disputes, and minor commercial conflicts relieves pressure on the overloaded court system and addresses grievances before they morph into criminal acts. It is a practical example of “soft” security preventing “hard” crime.
On the judicial front, the Command secured 577 judgments from the 43 cases it actively prosecuted. This indicates a strategic focus on taking strong, evidence-based cases to court to secure convictions, particularly for serious offences like vandalism and drug trafficking, where asset forfeiture and stiffer penalties apply.
The financial recoveries, totaling ₦56,630,800, alongside the seizure of vehicles, motorcycles, cannabis, and vandalized materials, demonstrate a focus on hitting criminals in their pockets and disrupting the economic incentives for crime. The recovery of items like “bales of insecticide-treated mosquito nets” is particularly noteworthy, pointing to operations against the diversion of public health resources.
Commandant Moriki attributed these outcomes to the commitment of his personnel and, crucially, to robust collaboration with stakeholders and other security agencies. This is not mere rhetoric. In a state like Katsina, facing complex security challenges, effective inter-agency cooperation—joint patrols, intelligence sharing with the police and military—and community trust are non-negotiable force multipliers. His commendation of the state government and the media further highlights this ecosystem approach, where public support and accurate information flow are vital.
The report concludes with a call for continued public vigilance. This final point is the linchpin of civil defence: the NSCDC cannot be everywhere. Its effectiveness is ultimately dependent on communities acting as its eyes and ears, reporting suspicious activities to create a pervasive network of security. The 2025 report from Katsina NSCDC, therefore, is not just a scorecard of arrests; it is a blueprint for a multi-layered security strategy combining enforcement, mediation, prosecution, asset recovery, and community partnership.
Source: NAN (Edited by Sandra Umeh). Original report available here.
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