The Federal Government has commenced a five-day multi-agency security simulation exercise in Delta State to assess and strengthen the preparedness of security agencies to respond to crises and complex emergencies.
The exercise, codenamed “Rapid Response 3”, is being organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and is the first exercise of its kind conducted by the agency outside the Federal Capital Territory.
The Director of the Presidential Command and Control Centre (DPC4-ONSA), Rear Admiral Adedotun Olukayode Ayo-Vaughan, disclosed this in a statement, urging residents of the state not to panic over increased security activities during the exercise.
He said residents should expect heavy movements of security vehicles, personnel, emergency response teams and other exercise-related activities within designated areas.
According to Ayo-Vaughan, the exercise is designed to test existing emergency response plans, procedures, coordination mechanisms and the operational capabilities of relevant agencies.
He explained that the exercise would run in four phases, beginning with a pre-exercise briefing, followed by enabler training for participating agencies on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Thursday will serve as the main exercise day, while Friday will be dedicated to an after-action review and assessment of lessons learnt.
The exercise brings together relevant crisis-response ministries, departments and agencies to strengthen inter-agency cooperation, communication, command and control, rapid deployment and effective crisis management.
Ayo-Vaughan said participating stakeholders would operate at the three established command levels — Gold, Silver and Bronze — in line with the National Crisis Management Doctrine.
He added that the scenarios were designed to assess the ability of participating agencies to respond rapidly, coordinate their operations and effectively manage the consequences of a crisis.
“The scenarios contained in this exercise are designed to test the ability of participating agencies to respond rapidly, coordinate their efforts and manage the consequences of a crisis,” he said.
The ONSA official stressed that the exercise would be conducted in a controlled environment and did not represent an actual emergency or security incident.
He commended Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, for supporting the exercise and said observations from stakeholders, commanders, observers and members of the exercise planning team would be used to improve future crisis-response exercises.
Ayo-Vaughan urged residents to remain calm, noting that members of the public had been informed through SMS and radio messages.
He also appealed to media organisations to report only verified information and avoid disseminating unconfirmed reports capable of causing unnecessary panic.
He urged journalists to clearly distinguish between activities connected with the simulation exercise and genuine security incidents.
The statement assured that adequate safety and security measures had been put in place for participants, observers, accredited media personnel and members of the public within the designated exercise areas.
The exercise is expected to end on Friday, September 11, 2026.
