By Jethro Ibileke
The Edo Commissioner for Information and Communication, Paul Ohonbamu, has said that the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo is currently overhauling the State Security architecture known as Edo State Security Corps, to make it capable of checking kidnapping and cultism.
Ohonbamu who stated this while speaking with journalists in Benin, disclosed that the overhauling is being handled by very senior retired military officers in the state.
He noted that Governor Okpebholo was committed to ending the twin challenge of kidnapping and cultism to ensure that expected investors into the state were not scared away.
He said: “On the issue of herdsmen, it is part of the training they are going through now under those retired military officers. Once these ones are out, you will see a brand new Edo State Security Corps which is to check kidnapping because from the point of entry, they will be stationed.
“The reason the system in the South Western states is working is because there is synergy and that is what you will get now.
“I praise our governor for his boldness. You see governors lamenting, ‘come to our aid, come to our aid’, but the governor [Okpebholo] is taking bold steps while others are complaining.
“He heard from the police, he bought brand new Hilux vans, 100 in number and gave them to them and the other security operatives. He bought 1000 power bikes for people to comb the bushes, he ensured that there was arms mop up, they collected illegal arms from people, about 5000 recovered. He has put things in place that will make them work effectively,”
He added: “Before now, you saw that the vigilante, the Edo State Security Corps was headed by different people in different cults, but this governor said no, it must be Ibadin and even Ibadin is not there now. Those who are arranging this present one, they are all retried very senior military officers. So we all know what the man wants, he wants decency in the society.
“He is planning to turn the place into a portable paradise, bringing investors and when you now see some negatives that will dissuade people from coming. No, he does not want it and he has told the people so.”
Ohonbamu, however opined that the police need to also “wake up and put on the confident badge of sovereignty to say, this is Nigerian Police Force, and we must stop what is happening, especially when you have a governor that is ready to support their operations”.
