“It once said; Every Regime has a policy that sustains its form”.
Security of Citizenry irrespective of political or religious affiliations of a particular Society should ordinarily not be negotiable or an uncompromising agenda of a responsive or responsible Leader or Government. To secure a society now globally is more than relying on orthodox or crude practice of carrying guns or displaying such or other weapons by security Agents as if guns or weapons are to be displayed like “selling cold table water on highways inorder to quench thirsty condition of travellers”
“Intelligence gathering, background checks, good renumerations, training and retraining, sophisticated technology and weapons, psycological re-awakeing, community- relating-security -strategy and boundary-patrol -synergy are some of the keys for a secured Society”.
Proliferations of security architecture in Ekiti State had no doubt done more harms than good on security challenges confronting the State in the last two years.
Unwanton killings, Kidnapping, robbing and even extortion of innocent people in the State in 2024 which has snowballed into year 2025 have been as a result of carelessness or unpreparedness of the ruling class to take the bull by the horn in the State.
The cases of people killed, robbed, maimed or kidnapped last and this new year alone have never been recorded in the checkered history of Ekiti State. And, the most unfortunate aspect of it, is that, the numbers of security agencies being initiated, sponsored or financed by the present administration of Mr. Biodun Oyebanji through the tax payers money in Ekiti State apart from Nigerian constitutionally recognised agencies like, Army, DSS, Police and others had outnumbered the agencies used by successive administrations in the State. Yet, the security challenges are growing higher and remain unabated on daily basis.
“Without mincing words, the security situation in Ekiti State now could be best described as what an adage once described as a society where dogs kill tigers for survival which pratically means unsafe society to live in”.
Apart from regular Security Agencies, Ekiti alone has Amotekun, a South western security network initiated to secure the region when the gangsterism of Fulani Herdsmen became almost unbearable in the region. The outfit is doing extremely well in other Southwestern States of the country uthat you could hardly recognised the duties or activities of Army, Police or DSS in the two sister States but in Ekiti the reverse is the case.
Instead for Ekiti government to empower Amotekun in collaboration with Army, Police, DSS and other recognised security Outfits through logistics, training and retraining with confidence to protect the people of the State, the present administration had looked other way but rather established another security Agency named “AGRO- MARSHALL”.
According to the government on the day of inauguration of “AGRO-MARSHALL” , the outfit was established to man forests and borders inorder to tackle security issues in the State. Also, in Ekiti we still have, Peace Corps initiated by former Governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi’s administration, Vigilante and Agbekoya Security Groups all in the name of securing the People in the State.
Unfortunately, all these aforementioned security Personnel are carrying guns without background checks, adequate renumerations, training and retraining because they are politically recruited personnel or created agencies not to actually secure the people from being robbed, kidnapped or killed as government made us to believed ab initio but rather recruited or created to serve as political back ups during Electoral struggles.
Some of these politically recruited security personnel in the State who are carry Guns are earning less than thirty thousand Naira (N70,000.00) monthly in this current economic situation and they will pay for transport fares, feeding and other domestic needs from same amount, I ask, what is the wisdom in that arrangement? Except the government is deliberately endangering the lives of the Residents for reasons best known to it.
“The situation in some parts of Ekiti State on security issue can now be best described as what I once called” an act of bombing or killing in Middle East especially Gaza which was no longer a news because it was a daily occurrence then”.
Though, the State government machinery is so smart to cover up some atrocities being committed by some unscrupulous Elements operating in the State inorder to remain relevant politically at the expense of the hapless People being governed . But; the reality on ground for the Victims of the heinous acts and families of such is killing them faster than missiles. And despite the economic hardship, People are still struggling to raise ransoms for the Kidnappers to get their family members released nearly on weekly if not daily basis apart from Hospital Bills for the maimed or wounded Victims who might have been lucky to escape death.
Also, the families of two Monarchs who were gruesome murdered by Kidnappers because of Carelessness handling of security situation by the present administration in Ekiti State will forever have such ugly story to tell.
Poverty and Mispriority on the path of government especially on some of its policies and programmes are major problems fuelling insecurity in the State and not until the necessity is done, Ekiti People may continue to sleep with their two eyes being opened because of any eventuality of the men of underworld.
However, The new 148-Battalion Formation of Nigeria Army recently announced by the Authority is the only hope, Ekiti People will have to be looking forward to, as the State Government has let them down at securing their lives and properties.
The outgoing Commander of 12 Brigade, Lokoja, Major General Oluremi Fadairo, said that the new formation would bring remarkable improvement to the security architecture of Ekiti, Kogi and Ondo states.
Fadairo spoke in Ado Ekiti when he led other senior Army officers including the new Brigade Commander, 12 Brigade, Lokoja, Brigadier General Kasim Sidi and the Commanding Officer of the new Battalion and the Garrison Commander, 32 Brigade Colonel Kyari Babakura, on a visit to Governor Biodun Oyebanji.
They were in the state to assess the new barracks of the Nigeria Army in Ikere Ekiti ahead of the deployment of personnel and equipment to the state.
The military chiefs expressed satisfaction with the location of the Army Barracks in Ikere Ekiti and assured the governor that the deployment of personnel would commence at the temporary base immediately as they requested a bigger space to serve as a temporary abode for the deployed personnel.
Fadairo urged residents of the state “to give the military the required maximum support and cooperation to enable it to achieve its desired objective of curtailing all forms of insecurity in the state.”
Mr Awojobi, a Journalist and Media Expert Writes From Ado Ekiti.
kingfemi13@gmail.com (08037643696).
