By joshua 
In the wake of the insecurity across some states of Nigeria, the Kogi State Security Adviser, Commander Jerry Omodara (Rtd) has urged the Federal Government to understudy and make use of the security template used in Kogi State by Governor Yahaya Bello – a template that has made the state one of the most secured state in Nigeria.
Below is the full text, shared at the 2nd Annual GYB Seminar for Nigeria’s Political and Crime correspondents, on Friday, April 8, 2022.
SUCCEEDING IN THE FIGHT AGAINST INSECURITY, TERRORISM: THE KOGI EXAMPLE
The word succeeding is key: Security is work in progress; you cannot eliminate criminalities neither can you go to sleep when winning the war. In the fight against insecurity, there are no two States that are the same in application of techniques and deployment. This is more so that no State in Nigeria are the same as it relates to people, typography, geographical location, access roads, infrastructures, religion and ethnic diversity.
What are the common security challenges in Kogi in 2016 when the current Government took over?• Terrorism• High rates of kidnapping• Armed robbery• Bank Robbery• Recurrent Fulani/Host Community clashes• Cultism• Labour agitation• Political unrest• Communal clashes etc.Root Causes• Geographical location of Kogi State• General security situation in the Country• The established strategy of using the youths as tools for political actualization (tuggery)• Unemployment• Low level collaboration and synergy among security agencies• Lack of well structured intelligence gathering• Failure to involve the people in intelligence gathering and participation (community policing)• Lack of the will-power on the part of those at the helm of affairs.Current Nature of Criminalities/Challenges • Act of terrorism as a result of activities of ISWAP and some elements of Boko-Haram.
* The attack on Correctional Centre on 12 September, 2021 * Bank Robbery of UBA at Egbe on 21 December, 2021.• Isolated kidnapping * Itobe – Alu, Ofagolo – Ayingba, Ofu-Dekina LGA, Aduge, Ogale in Ijumu LGA, influx of bandits from Nasarawa State through Sardauna village.• Fulani/Herdsmen and Host community clashesActions Taken• Data were collated and analysed• Created a well structured intelligence gathering for the State.• Identified critical stakeholders like, traditional rulers, youth leaders, market women as having roles in providing security.• Identified neighbourhood watch as critical to provision of security. (Know Your Neighbour)• Created the needed synergy among the security agencies.• Establishment of Kogi Vigilante Service to assist the security agencies in intelligence gathering and policing. (Total of 3,500 so far recruited and trained).• Establishment of Operation Total Freedom in September 2016 for effective 24 hours patrols. The strength is now about 545 troops involving the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police, DSS, NSCDC.• Purchase and deployment of modern technology to fight crime.• Purchase and distribution of over 160 vehicles to the security agencies and vigilantes.• Coordinated clearance operations by security agencies in the State.• Regular meetings with critical stakeholders: Traditional rulers, Aldo, CAN, JNI, LG Chairmen• Recognition of Hunters to function with vigilantes and in some military operations.• Our approach to insecurity in the State is very different, first the people must be carried along in any approach to fighting criminalities, this is much so that criminals lives among the people.• The body language of a leader must clearly reflect the fighting spirit and the people must be convinced. This is the situation in Kogi with Governor Yahaya Bello.• Leadership approach to insecurity is key to finding solutions to insecurity in the Country. Leadership and management skills must drive our performance. • In Kogi State, the people understand our approach; we are fighting terrorists and other criminalities by applying our local compact system that is suitable for the State.
Today Kogi remains foreign investors’ destination.
This can be attested to from the records obtained from the Nigeria Immigration Service indicated increased in numbers of expatriate living and working in the State as shown below:• 2014 – 56 • 2015 – 72• 2016 – (May 73, August 98) – 171 • 2017 – 214 • 2018 – 246• 2019 – 263 • 2020 to date 297.
We take issues concerning security seriously including study tours of Military and Security Institutions. Their visits provide us a lot to share and their reports are taken seriously.
What the Government must Do:
• The Federal Government must recognize the peculiar nature of each State, (Typography, Landlock, Riverine, nature of crime associated, etc.) A State like Kogi where you have over 80% of North/South crossing on daily basis needs special attention, in area of deployment and funding. A State like Niger State with the largest land expanse cannot be compared with smaller land area. • Neighbouring States must as a matter of urgency begin to synergize in intelligence gathering and deployment of technology in fighting crime to curb inter-State crimes.• Prosecution of criminals is one major challenge in the Country.
Arrested criminals find themselves back in the society or released due to no witness (Covid time).• At this point, the Government at all levels should look into the ungoverned areas in the Country that have become our greatest challenge in curbing insecurity in the Country. Each State must look into these critical areas along with the Federal Government.•
We must eliminate the challenge of I can do it alone, no; security is better fought with jointly.• Military and security agencies must avoid the trend, associated with Nigeria Media• We sometimes speak more than we act. Why must we go to the press of planned Military Operations, what we used to know is embedded media in some Military Operations.• Opposition in Nigeria must harmonize efforts with the Government in the fight against insecurity. Killings and mishaps in the Country must never be celebrated as failure of a Government. Opposition must stand with the Government as a result of calamities, rather than turning it to political celebrations.
Kogi Example is therefore in the fight against insecurity; terrorism is mainly because of the will-power, capacity and un-repented support for security agencies in the State by His Excellency, Alh. Yahaya Bello.* Resolved not to negotiate with criminals * Clear distinction between politics and security* Clear idea of the working relationship with security agencies* The resolve that Kogi State security must be handled by the Chief Security of the State. No Cry, No Blame on Mr. President for Kogi State challenges.
Let me quote the Governor in his Declaration Speech “Proven ability to enforce Security, Unity and Peace in a large territory with difficult terrain. Citizens must be safe in their homes and assets. We must be able to safely go where we want in Nigeria, when we want. What God has helped us to do in Kogi, I am persuaded He will help us to do in Nigeria”.
Commander Duro Jerry Omodara FSS (Rtd)State Security Adviser8th April, 2022.