Security Beefed up at Abuja Stadium as Sports Festival Begins

Security has been beefed up at the National Stadium as the 19th National Sports Festival begins in Abuja.

The sports festival scheduled to hold from Dec. 6 to Dec. 16 will feature 37 sports from the initial 25 sports played in the past.

Security operatives were deployed in strategic areas within the sports arena to ensure peace and orderliness within the premises throughout the duration of the national fiesta.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 19th National Sports Festival, was initially scheduled to hold in Calabar, Cross River State in 2014, but was later moved to Abuja due to several postponements by the initial designated host.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Assistant Commandant-General (ACG) in charge of special duties, Mr Akpan Bassey, told NAN that there had been no arrest of persons due to misconduct.

He said that the NSCDC and other sister agencies were readily on ground to ensure law and order were maintained.

Security officers at the entry and exit of the stadium

“Coming towards the stadium, you will notice the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) personnel working earnestly to ensure free flow of traffic.

“Likewise, there are Police officers on ground and we were informed that members of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Fire Service had been around since yesterday.

“All being said, we will likely experience one or two issues but we will try our best to ensure security at its peak,” he said. (NAN)