The Katsina State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has released its annual performance report for 2025, revealing a year of significant operational activity. Commandant Abbas Moriki announced that the corps arrested a total of 2,088 criminal suspects and recovered over ₦56.6 million in cash and assets. This data provides a critical snapshot of the state’s security landscape and the NSCDC’s evolving role beyond its traditional civil defence mandate.
The arrests stemmed from 4,230 cases handled across the state, indicating a high volume of reported incidents. A detailed breakdown of the suspects offers insight into prevalent crime types:
- Theft (942 suspects): This category, the largest, underscores persistent economic pressures and property crime. It often includes livestock rustling—a major concern in agrarian communities—and burglary.
- Vandalism (93 suspects): Primarily targeting public infrastructure like telecommunications cables, railway assets, and power installations. These crimes cripple essential services and cause significant economic damage.
- Possession of Illicit Drugs (272 suspects): The high number here highlights the narcotics trade as a key driver of insecurity, fueling other crimes and social decay.
- Assault (26 suspects) & Sundry Offences (755 suspects): The latter category, including breach of trust and thuggery (‘Yan daba’), points to the NSCDC’s involvement in addressing social disorder and intra-community conflicts.
Perhaps more revealing than the arrests is the Command’s massive investment in conflict resolution. 4,767 disputes were successfully resolved through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), with another 1,158 in process. This proactive, mediation-based approach prevents minor grievances from escalating into violent conflicts or lengthy court battles, effectively serving as a frontline peacekeeping tool. It demonstrates the NSCDC’s critical role in community cohesion.
On the judicial front, 43 cases are in court, and the Command secured 577 judgments in 2025. This highlights a focus on securing convictions, which is essential for deterrence. The financial recovery of ₦56,630,800, alongside exhibits like vehicles, motorcycles, vandalized properties, and bags of cannabis, shows an effort to hit criminals where it hurts—their operational capacity and finances.
Commandant Moriki attributed the year’s successes to personnel commitment and robust collaboration with stakeholders and sister agencies. This is a crucial point. Effective security in states like Katsina, facing banditry and cross-border crime, depends on joint operations with the police, army, DSS, and local vigilante groups, as well as intelligence sharing with communities.
The report concludes with a call for public vigilance, urging citizens to report suspicious activities. This partnership between the populace and security forces remains the bedrock of effective intelligence-led operations. The 2025 figures from the Katsina NSCDC not only quantify a year’s work but also map the complex terrain of contemporary security challenges, where enforcement, mediation, and recovery go hand-in-hand.
Report by Abbas Bamalli. Edited by Sandra Umeh.
