By Richard Olabuyide.
The Amalgamated Afemai Forum (AAF), says its initiative to curb insecurity in Edo State, particularly in Edo North Senatorial District, has recorded tremendous success within six months of implementation.
The Commander General of the Oduma Protection Squad (OPS) and a Security Expert, Mr Martins Sadoh, stated this in a statement made available to newsmen on Monday.
He said that the AAF initiative which was to curb insecurity in Edo North Senatorial District of the state led to the launch of OPS in collaboration with the Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) in December 2022.
Sadoh said that the 350-man OPS had reduced banditry and kidnapping in the district to the barest minimum within one year of its operation.
He noted that farmers who had hitherto abandoned their farms over insecurity had returned to farming.
Sadoh, a visiting Resource Person from the Institute of Security and Global Affairs, Bamako, Mali, said he was moved with the plight of farmers who had to abandon their only means of survival over insecurity.
“As a security expert and more so that I am an Afemai man, I felt the need to do something and that thing was the launch of OPS in December last year with the deputy governor of Edo state in attendance.
“Security is everyone’s business, irrespective of status or class. We must all contribute our different quota to make our home land safe and secure for us to go about our daily businesses.
“I am indeed happy that tremendous progress has been made with the OPS as no fewer than 65 arrests have been made since the operation started.
“Our team has made most forest unsafe for these criminal elements to go about their usual business unchallenged,” he said.
Sadoh said that six Sienna and 30 motor cycles were provided for the outfit during launch.
He, however, appealed for more support from individuals and organisations to enable the OPS record more success.
“We need more from everyone, low or mighty, as we are bound by a common destiny which is to ensure a safer place for us all to carry on with our daily activities without fear of being killed or abducted.
“Insecurity in Afemailand is peculiar because being a transit area from East, West, North and Middle Belt, made it difficult to rise to the challenges concurrently from multiple fronts, without adequate resources.” he said.
Sadoh commended the role of JDPC through the Catholic Bishop of Auchi, Bishop Gabriel Dunia; the Convener of AAF, Dr Bright Aregs; and the Chairman, Dr Lecky Muhammed for the success so far recorded by the OPS.
He, however, called on the government to engage the services of private security outfit in the area of intelligence gathering and others to curb challenges of insecurity in the country.
“This is what is practicable in developed countries, including the U.S. The use private security outfits for intelligence gathering and some covert operations.
“Our armed forces are one of the best in Africa and I can very well tell you that they are overstretched.
“They need help and its only private security outfit that can render that assistance for them to record more successes to finally arrest the insecurity problem in the country,” he said.