By Dr. Joel Ademisoye, United States States
A Paradigm Shift in Fighting the violent, deadly Terrorists, bandits and Kidnappers in the State Government Forest Reserves and Protecting the Natural Resources and Environment at the state level. A serious security problem, whereby the criminals are using the forest as hideouts and den to keep their abducted victims like the 42 schoolchildren and their teachers in the Oniire Local Government Area of Oyo State in Nigeria, President Tinubu administration should employ a radical approach, to the national forest policy and its management in the country in order to protect and prevent the forest from abuse across Nigeria as no hideouts for the criminals.
In my reading about the bold action taken by the Governor of Bauchi State, I think there is a new philosophy, thinking, strategy and method for fighting and flushing the terrorists, bandits and kidnappers by the active involvement and participation of the state governor / government of Bauchi State, which has deployed 2,187 forest guards, to monitor, track and locate the movement of the terrorists, bandits and kidnappers in the government forest reserves in the state. I observed that there is active intervention and bold initiatives by the state governments in their efforts to fight terrorists, bandits and kidnappers in the state. It appears that this is a new trends of the state governments getting involved and intervening in the security issues facing the state across the country. For example, Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, recently purchased and acquired 2 surveillance planes for use in the state, where 42 schoolchildren and their teachers are held in captivity.
But, in the case of Bauchi State, Governor Bala Mohammed is taking the Bull by the horns and emptying a different approach to fighting the terrorists, bandits and kidnappers in the state through the recruitment of 1,127 forest guards to man, monitor, track and locate the movement of the criminals in the government forest reserves in the state. In this context, Governor Mohammed is waking up from his slumber by taking strong, bold action and responsibility for the protection, security and safety of the people of the Bauchi State in Nigeria. Thus, Governor Mohammed is using the government to employ the forest guards to flush out the terrorists and kidnappers who are the illegal occupants of the government forest reserves in the state.
In addition to the governor’s security goal, the forest guards are mandated to and responsible for protecting and preventing the abuse and destruction of the natural resources (illegal cutting of timbers and mining ) and polluting the environment. With the recruitment of this huge number of new forest guards, I think the Bauchi State Government is closing the gaps in the state security architecture, strategy, structure and infrastructure, especially in the intelligence capacity and gathering areas of the state.
As a native of Ondo State, I find utility and relevance in Governor of Bauchi State approach to fighting the terrorism and terrorists in the state, which provides some lessons for Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to emulate, adopt ideas and key into the approach of recruiting a sizeable number of the armed forest guards to watch, go into the government forest reserves in order to flush out the terrorists and kidnappers, who are currently using the forest as hideouts and den as well. This approach should be assisted by use of surveillance drones in order to track, monitor and locate the movement of the terrorists and kidnappers in the Ondo State forest reserves.
I vividly recalled that the Governor of Ondo State, late Barrister Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN, issued a government Edict ordering all unregistered occupants and Fulani Herdsmen to register with the government or vacate the government forest reserves in January 18, 2021, but without any significant successful outcome.
But, 5 years after the Governor Akeredolu Infamous Edict, the Ondo State Government forest reserves are still serving as hideouts and dens for the terrorists, bandits and kidnappers in the state. In view of the rising wave of terrorism, banditry and kidnapping in Ondo State, it necessary and important for the Governor Aiyedatiwa administration to undertake a paradigm shift its current Silence, Passivity and Inaction to a more bold, aggressive and robust security plan for protecting, securing and safety of the people of Ondo State. Many citizens of Ondo State, are of the opinion, that it is time, Governor Aiyedatiwa puts his security votes in the effective use by purchasing and acquiring the modern security technologies- surveillance planes, drones and CCTV cameras for monitoring, tracking and locating the movements of terrorists, bandits and kidnappers in the thick government forest reserves in the state. Governor Aiyedatiwa should employ a holistic or comprehensive approach in developing a security plan for the state by including the Amotekun Security Networks in the basic reconfiguration of the state security architecture, structure and strategy as well.
In achieving a balanced approach to fighting the violent, deadly terrorism, banditry and kidnapping in Ondo State, Governor Aiyedatiwa needs to employ a two- way approach involving the mobilization, collaboration and participation of the people of Ondo State, which is
currently in contrast to the situation, where citizens are out of the loop and awareness of what the government security plan and citizens’ role in fighting the terrorism in the communities, Villages, towns and cities of Ondo State. I remembered in 2012 that in the Owo community, the people or residents were well mobilized and organized into the Neighborhood Watch groups , which keep their eyes and ears on the problems of insecurity, break-ins and theft in the community. Today, the idea and practice of the “Neighborhood Watch” in the Owo community, is gone with the winds. However, I think along this old idea of the Neighborhood Watch, a movement that can be resuscitated and revitalized, in order to mobilize and organize the members of the community, into a viable, dependable intelligence force to assist the government authorities and law enforcement agencies to gather and collect information on the activities of terrorism, banditry and kidnapping in Ondo State.
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