Ahead of the 4th edition of Governor Abdullahi Sule’s Inter-Security Agencies’ Unity Cup Football Tournament, Nasarawa State has presented official jerseys to twelve participating agencies.
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The Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Kwanta Yakubu, made the presentation to representatives of the participating agencies in his office in Lafia, the state capital.
He was joined by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Ibrahim Adamu Alhassan; Senior Special Assistant to Governor Abdullahi Sule on Sports Affairs, Comrade Hamza Moyi Ibrahim, and Management officials of the Ministry.
He urged them to leverage on the competition to build stronger relations and enhance inter-agency collaboration in the fight against crime.
“Governor Abdullahi Sule places high premium on security, which is why he is consistent in sponsoring this tournament in order to promote peace, security and protection of lives and properties of the citizens in the State,” he said.
The Commissioner added that engagement of security personnel in sports helps to promote healthy lifestyles and improve productivity at the work place in the pursuit of a crime-free society.
Also speaking, Senior Special Adviser to Governor Abdullahi Sule on Sports Affairs, Hamza Moyi, said this year’s edition of the competition would come with many rewards, including participation fees, medals, and trophies.
He said that to commemorate the 65th Independence Anniversary of Nigeria, and 29th Anniversary of the creation of Nasarawa State, an exhibition football match between the Nigerian Army versus the Federal Road Safety Corps would be held on October 1, at the Lafia City Stadium, to herald the official kickoff of the tournament a day later.
Speaking on behalf of the representatives of the Security Agencies, Acting Assistant Director, Army Physical Training, Four Special Forces, Doma, Major O.M. Agu, thanked them for initiating the tournament, stating that it would foster inter-agency cooperation, teamwork, and strengthen military-paramilitary-civilian relationship while helping participants to showcase their sports skills.
He promised that the competition would live up to its essence.
The Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, won the last edition in 2024, after beating the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, 2-0, in the finale at the Lafia City Stadium.
This year’s edition of the tournament will feature twelve agencies, namely, Nigerian Army(NA), Nigerian Air Force(NAF), Nigerian Police Force(NPF), Department of State Services(DSS), Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC), and Nigerian Immigration Service(NIS).
Others are Federal Fire Service(FFS), National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigerian Correctional Service(NCS), Nasarawa State Youth Empowerment Agency (NAYEA), and the Vigilante Group of Nigeria(VGN).