We’ll tackle kidnapping, insecurity along highways in South West -DSS vows

The Directorate of State Security (DSS) has vowed to tackle the menace of kidnapping along the highways in the South West region of the country.

The Ogun State Director of the Service, Folasade Adekaiyaoja, gave the assurance while speaking at the DSS 4th Quarter 2023, South West Conference for State Directors, held in Abeokuta, on Thursday. He assured the Ogun State government of a safe and more secure environment.

She also assured that the Directorate would continue to work in synergy with other security agencies to effectively combat insecurity in the state.

She said, “I assure you, your Excellency, sir, of our renewed commitment to ensure a safe and secure Ogun state.

As the country prepares to celebrate the end of the year and transition to 2024, we are aware that our work remains important to ensure that our citizens can go about their work and remain safe during this period.

The DSS boss, who expressed displeasure that the South West zone has been marked with kidnappings along highways, pledged that the Department will combat the menace with experience and expertise gathered from its relationships with other sister agencies.

“Our zone has been mapped with kidnapping along the major highway, and we have worked hard to manage banditry, drug peddling, economic and financial crime, and serve as a landline of defense. We have benefited from working together and drawing from the expertise and experience of our collective membership by identifying and collaborating with sister agencies, and this has helped us in preferring solutions.”

On his part, Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun called for intelligence sharing among security agencies in the country to enable them to tackle the security challenges confronting the nation.

While emphasising that intelligence is one of the needed tools that would assist security agencies in performing their duties optimally, Abiodun noted that criminals have adopted new methods in carrying out their nefarious activities, hence the need for the security agencies, particularly those in the Southwest region, to up their game and share intelligence to nip crimes in the bud.

He said, “It is important that, as a region, we share intelligence and see how to better secure our region because there can never be any meaningful socio-economic development in an atmosphere of insecurity.

“Nobody will come and invest in your state, no matter the amount of road you build or the amount of infrastructure you provide. As long as there is an air of insecurity, all that will amount to nothing.

“It is important that we understand that the socio-economic development that we all desire in our various states and zones can only be achieved when we have peace and security.”

Abiodun said the issue of securing the region and bridging the gap in community policing led to the emergence of Amotekun, even as he expressed delight that the idea has led to the formation of similar outfits in other regions across the country.

“As a region, we still have a lot of things in common. We have the challenge of migration across the border from the north to the south. We have a student population, particularly in Ogun State, with a lot of tertiary institutions.

“Being close to Lagos State, which is the financial capital of Nigeria, we have a spillover of activities from there. Anything that happens in Lagos, within a few minutes, will begin to feel the impact.

“We see ourselves as providing services that have to do with the buying of land, setting up industry, people that want to live close to Lagos as possible, and of course, people that are travelling from Lagos to the rest of the country all pass through Ogun, Oyo, and at times, Osun, before going to the rest of the country,” he added.

Abiodun also called on the meeting to deliberate and look into the root causes of cultism in the region.

He noted that it was worrisome that cultism has now become prevalent, wondering what has suddenly gone wrong with primary school children, vulcanizers, welders, artisans, undergraduates, and graduates all getting involved in cultism.

“In the last few weeks, some of the things that we’ve experienced in Ogun State, which I am not sure you have experienced in your various states, are the issues of cultism.

“Why are they killing each other? Is there something they are earning? Is there some kind of reward? What is the incentive? I think these are posers and questions for you to look into.

“We cannot be focused on the symptom. Let’s try and drill down to find out what exactly the root cause is. Perhaps, if we do that, we can nip it in the bud. Then, we can begin to see a reduction in these incidences,” he said.

The governor acknowledged the opportunities the state enjoys as a result of its location but was quick to also point out some challenges caused by its geographical location, expressing optimism that those in charge of securing the state would do the needful to keep the peace.

The governor said the meeting was a veritable avenue to cross-fertilise ideas, which can be useful across the region.

“How can you help us share experiences with us in Ogun State? Where are the gaps? What are these criminals taking advantage of? Is it our borders or any particular area where there is a vacuum?

“I believe with this kind of shared intelligence, shared understanding, and inter-state cooperation, it will strengthen law enforcement and intelligence across borderlines because, at the end of the day, we are one and the same people with the same language and culture,” he said.

Abiodun informed us that he and his Lagos State counterpart are working towards providing street lights and installing cameras along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to enable security agencies to react to emergencies and distress situations in the axis.

He called on the security chiefs to brainstorm and come up with effective ways of dealing with security challenges to serve as a model to other regions.

In a goodwill message, the Chairman, South West Directors of Security, Mr. Bolade Olori, said the meeting was to review the general security situation in the region to tackle it.

He assured the governor that topical issues would be diligently dealt with and solutions shared.