That No-nonsense, New Approach to Tackling Insecurity in Kogi
By Nafisat Bello
“Eight lives are too many for us, and even one life is too many for anybody to take unjustly”
That was vintage Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello at his no-nonsense best expressing massive outrage over the recent killing in Ajaokuta of three policemen and five Vigilante men by some unknown assailants who stormed the area in a major, though, rare security breach. Immediately the tragic news hit the airwaves, the governor was so angry that he ordered the immediate suspension and arrest of the Monarch in charge of the area and also queried the local government chairman. He also set in motion a couple of measures meant to not only punish the people who let the state down but also forestall a future occurrence.
Governor Bello is known by all and sundry not to joke with governance or anything that affects the welfare of Kogites. But he is a little more extreme when security is involved as sanctity of life is something he is very passionate about. That ‘extremism’ which could be likened to pragmatism is what has made the state very stable and secure in the last six years.
Of course Kogi state has been one of the safest states in the country and Governor Bello doesn’t seem to be in the mood to let this change. And that was due to the fact that Governor Bello places high premium on security. From the onset of his administration, Governor Bello declared Operation Total Freedom. He provided over 200 utility vehicles for all security agencies, equipped vigilante groups with funds, logistics and over 500 motorcycles. He also lobbied the federal government and Military authorities to cite Nigerian Army Forward Operational Bases in different strategic locations across the state to boost security in those areas.
The state government also armed various security outfits to the teeth with the provision of necessary weapons and logistics, one of which was the provision of another 104 patrol vehicles to various security and paramilitary agencies like the Army, Navy, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Correctional Service, Federal Road Safety Corps and the Vigilante Groups.
Governor Bello has not been treating security challenges with kid-gloves. One of the decisive steps he took was the introduction whistleblowing policy which has gone a long way help identify and arrest criminals.
On the recent Ajaokuta incident, the governor summoned a crucial meeting of all stakeholders. Traditional rulers, opinion leaders, local government leaders, security agents and vigilante groups all attended the meeting.
From Kabba to Okene to Idah, every traditional ruler in the state was in the meeting. The highest hierachy of the Police was in attendance. Speakers after speakers spoke glowingly on the massive efforts the governor has taken on security and how the recent incident shouldn’t have happened.
When it was his turn to speak, the governor told the audience a painful story about how he had repeatedly warned the traditional ruler involved about the negative security reports in the area and his alleged connivance with the criminals. The governor also specifically said he had given the monarch and local government chairman a last warning months earlier in their last encounter, that the next time a major security breach is reported in the area, he would deal decisively with them. That of course was the reason the governor got the monarch arrested and queried the local government chairman.
An obviously angry Governor Bello also gave a stern warning to the Commissioner of Police who was at the meeting to ensure that the detained monarch is not released on bail or under any guise.
“After receiving information of his activities with some criminal elements in that particular local government, I couldn’t take it anymore. So, I specifically, together with the chairman, cautioned him; this is the last warning, any incident of even kidnapping for a ransom of one naira by the criminal elements that you are harbouring , you will pay dearly for it.
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“And all he could do was to turn it political, changing the whole thing into a clannish issue, knowing the fact that everyone came from somewhere. I don’t care about your religion, be it Muslim or Christian. I don’t care which clan you represent, I don’t care your background, your beliefs, I don’t care about your tribe, be it Ebira, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Fulani. I don’t care which political party you belong to, be it APC or PDP. I don’t care where you came from, but what is important is , as a human being, you must be secured and make your own contribution to livelihood, but if you constitute a bridge to insecurity, I will deal decisively with you. So, therefore that particular traditional ruler will pay dearly for it.
“And whoever comes to beg or seek the bail of that traditional ruler will also be arrested and charged with the same criminal offence, no matter how highly placed that person is” Governor Bello added.
Critics may see the governor’s approach as extra-judicial as some of his pronouncements and actions may not be able to stand the test of litigation but relatives of the slain policemen and vigilante men will not care at all. People of Kogi state who have in recent years enjoyed relative peace and tranquility will also frown at a situation whereby people hide under law and human rights and get away with criminal and murderous conspiracy.
According to Governor Bello, “we have been doing our best to make sure that Kogi state is secured, her indigenes are secured, the inhabitants are secured and our livelihood are secured.”
New Stringent Measures
So doubling down on the detention of the Ohi of Eganyi and Chairman, Ajaokuta Area Traditional Council, Alhaji Musa Isah Achuja, and the query given to the Chairman of Ajaokuta Local Council, Hon Mustapha Aka’aba, for alleged links with the criminals and negligence of duty respectively, the governor read the riot act to the stakeholders, saying any traditional ruler found guilty of harbouring or providing shelter for criminals will face the music.
The governor also placed a ban on wearing of face masks in public places except in hospitals where they are very essential. Criminals, he said, hide under the use of face masks to commit heinous crimes while hiding their identities. For proper and easy identification of persons therefore, no more wearing of face masks in public places in Kogi state.
The governor also announced the shutting of all brothels across the state. According to him, brothels have become hiding places for criminal elements. The governor therefore ordered that any brothel owner that doesn’t close shop immediately will have his building demolished.
The governor also announced that the state government will embark on the demolition of shanties across the state. Shanties, he said, have also become a safe haven for criminals who are troubling the state.
According to security reports available to the state government, motorcycles and tricycles are some of the vehicles used by criminals to carry out their nefarious activities. The governor therefore ordered that the activities of commercial motorcycles and tricycles be heavily regulated to minimise the danger they pose to security of lives and property.
The state government also launched Operation Know Your Subject (KYS), a mechanism to help traditional rulers know those who live in their neighbourhoods. “If you are accepting visitors, you must know them and you must know all your subjects, since you are the owners of the land. Whether they are indigenes, or strangers or they are migrating, you must know that someone is occupying a portion of your land,” the governor told the traditional rulers.
The state government, he said, will also embark on a review of land tittles to prevent irregular settlers. “No unknown persons or settlers should settle in your lands without passing through proper Identification,” he also told the monarchs.
The governor gave the traditional rulers up till 30th of August to cleanse their lands of unidentified strangers.
He also informed the gathering that the state government will embark on the regulation of activities of miners and so-called investors who occupy large portions of the land arbitrarily.
Any keen observer of Kogi affairs in recent years will realise that Governor Bello is only seen in this kind of mood when the security and welfare of Kogites are involved. With these new measures, there is no doubting the fact that everybody will sit up and that kind of embarrassing incident will not repeat itself as far as this governor is in office.
As a form of of recommendation however, the governor may consider institutionalising some of these measures and policies for the sake of the future. The governor can liaise with the Attorney General of the state and other aides and explore ways of making new laws to give strong legal backing to the above measures.
