Hot SourceLinus Aleke in Abuja
The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), in collaboration with the Nigerian military, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Department of State Services (DSS), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and over 20 other emergency and response agencies of the Federal Government, Thursday conducted a crisis response simulation exercise, codenamed Rapid Response 2.
ONSA noted that the annual simulation exercise, which took place at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja, is part of the Federal Government’s efforts to test the preparedness of the military, security, intelligence, emergency, and response agencies in effectively countering terrorism, insurgency, and other forms of violent extremism in the country.
Speaking during the simulation exercise, the Director of Presidential Communication, Command and Control Centre, ONSA, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Nmoyem, stated that the simulation exercise, an annual event, is primarily conducted to test the response capabilities in accordance with the national crisis management doctrine.
Stressing that in every crisis synergy matters, Admiral Nmoyem said the essence of the simulation exercise was to further strengthen synergy among response agencies in the fight against terrorism.
He said: “It is about how we can get the ministries, departments and agencies of government to collaborate and work together to tackle any situation.”
On how the exercise can help curb the growing insecurity in Nigeria, he explained: “Crises can occur at any time, and the purpose of exercises like this is to refresh the knowledge of those who are the first line of responders in crisis management regarding their responsibilities. Secondly, we aim to assess their response capabilities and competence in handling their core duties. If we conduct this periodically, it will help ensure that when crises arise, we are better prepared to respond adequately. We may not respond perfectly, but exercises like this help prepare the agencies for such incidents in real-life situations.”
The Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs Zubaida Umar, stated that the exercise serves more as a coordination forum — not just a simulation exercise — enabling the relevant agencies present to understand the roles expected of them.
“Don’t forget that after this exercise, we will all return to review the process, and wherever we find lapses, we will work to close the gap. What you have witnessed today is the Office of the National Security Adviser taking charge of the security aspects. For NEMA, our role is to manage the fallout from security issues. Once the security phase is handled, we step in as first responders. All the relevant MDAs are present here.”
She, however, pointed out that crowd control is always a challenge in crisis management.
Umar further explained: “We saw this demonstrated, with bystanders and onlookers trying to take photographs. In the scenario, they had to be decontaminated because sometimes the attack could be chemical, and people may not realise that. Even gaining access to buildings during such incidents becomes difficult due to crowd control issues.”
She advised that whenever a disaster occurs, members of the public should make way to enable responders to reach those in need of immediate assistance.
The royal father of the day and Chairman of the Traditional Council of Chiefs of Kokona LGA, Lawrence Ayih Abaga, said security agencies need information to function optimally.
Emphasising the imperative of intelligence sharing, he said: “When a disaster occurs and no information is relayed to the appropriate agencies, they remain unaware of the incident. Timely information enables security and emergency agencies to act swiftly and tackle the situation.”
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