Taking the Battle to Criminals' Den in Edo
Adibe Emenyonu writes on the move by Edo State Government in conjunction with security operatives to curb crime and criminality in the state, occasioned by activities of kidnappers and armed gangs
The state police command had earlier raided the forest and destroyed hideouts before embarking on clearing of the bushes... this is a strategic security measure put in place to curb the spate of banditry and kidnapping in the state...we are of the firm belief that a mix of strategies, including the clearing of the bushes on road sides would reduce the incidence of herdsmen attacks and kidnappings
The Benin-Ore dual carriage way for quite some time has become notorious for criminal activities. Hardly any day passes without any form of crime or criminality. If it is not kidnapping, it would be armed robbery and most times human lives are wasted.
Of recent, the road especially at the Benin axis has become a nightmare to both motorists and commuters. Not too long ago, suspected hoodlums shot and killed a Naval Officer, Felix Akanbi, who was among 18 passengers traveling from Bayelsa to Lagos through Benin City.
According to the report, the suspected herdsmen, all armed with AK47 rifles, were said to have opened fire on the 18- seater bus, after they intercepted it between Ekiadolor and Ovia River bridge after dispossessing all the passengers of their belongings such as money, handsets and other valuables, before marching them into the forest.
As the kidnappers were taking the victims to their camp in the Ovia forest, Akanbi was shot and killed when they apparently realised he was a military man.
On receiving the information, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Ekiadolor Division mobilised its men to go after the kidnappers with a view to rescuing the victims. They were however late as all efforts at combing the bush for over two hours in search of the hoodlums yielded no positive result as they could only rescue the seven victims alive and recovered the body of Akanbi.
Few days after the incident, another commercial bus was waylaid by same criminal elements at the same spot, suggesting that those involved in the nefarious activities operate from a particular axis.
It was on this premise that the Edo State Government in league with the police and other security agencies decided to take the war to the front door of the criminals. Rather than waiting for the criminals to strike, which will put the authorities on defensive, they took the initiative to dislodge the hoodlum right in their territory.
In doing so, the idea of clearing the bush to checkmate the activities of kidnappers and armed robbers terrorising motorists along that highway was conceived.
To match words with actions, bulldozers were drafted to the area to clear 50 metres on both sides of the bush. This is because kidnappers and others involved in one criminal activities or the other usually take advantage of the deep forest close to the highway to hide their victims.
Another argument supporting the exercise is that with the cleared bushes, people travelling along that route can get a proper view of would be attackers, while the security agencies have a greater opportunity to apprehend these criminals should they try to run in or out of the forest either to perpetrate crime or run away when they are being trailed.
Speaking to journalists during the operation "clear the bushes" at Okada Town, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Danmallam Mohammed, who led other sister security agencies said: "We found out that the kidnappers take advantage of the deep forest close to the expressway to hide their victims. With support from the Edo State Government, we are clearing the bushes along both sides of the road. With this, we can get a proper view of the forest and also apprehend the kidnappers when they try to run out of the forest."
Not only that, CP Mohammed added that the bush clearing, which is 50 meters away from both sides of the expressway close to Ore axis of the Benin-Lagos Road, would give the criminals no hiding place to perpetrate their trade.
Edo State Government and the state police command commenced the bush clearing exercise earlier in the week in a move to check activities of kidnappers terrorising motorists along Benin- Lagos Road.
"We found out that the kidnappers take advantage of the deep forest close to the expressway to hide their victims", the CP stressed, adding that men of the command will patrol deep into the forest daily to ensure the camps of the bandits are destroyed, while security presence would be beefed up along the Benin - Lagos Express Road.
He noted, "we found out that the kidnappers take advantage of the deep forest close to the expressway to hide their victims. With support from the Edo State Government, we are clearing the bushes along both sides of the road. With this, we can get a proper view of the forest and also apprehend the kidnappers when they try to run out or into the forest either for operation or after operation.””
He said the state police command had earlier raided the forest and destroyed hideouts before embarking on clearing of the bushes, adding that, "this is a strategic security measure put in place to curb the spate of banditry and kidnapping in the state. The exercise started in the last two weeks in order to kick out bandits and kidnappers from the state”.
The bush clearing security strategy will not be on Benin- Ore- Lagos expressway alone. Plans are also on the way to replicate same at the local government levels according to the police boss.
In his words, "the Edo State Government and the police command in the state have mandated chairmen of the 18 local government areas in the state to replicate the ongoing bush clearing along federal highways in their domains to flush out kidnappers hiding in the bushes.”
Similarly, Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, also hinted that the strategy to clear road sides of bushes has engendered confidence in the minds of travellers and drivers plying the Benin- Lagos road.
"At the state level, we are clearing bushes on the highways in partnership with the Edo State Police Command and local government chairmen have been mandated to carry out similar exercise on road sides in their domains, in partnership with heads of divisional police formations" Osagie said.
He added: "We are of the firm belief that a mix of strategies, including the clearing of the bushes on road sides would reduce the incidence of herdsmen attacks and kidnappings."
The governor's aide explained that the bush clearing initiative is a response to the nefarious activities of criminals perpetuated in the thick bushes on the highways in the state.
He noted: "Our plan is to cascade this initiative to the local councils and rid our roads of criminals. We appeal to village and community heads to mobilise youths in their areas to clear bushes on road sides in their communities."
The latest security strategy has earned both the state government and the police operatives good commendations as motorists plying the Benin - Lagos Road, who witnessed the clearing exercise, poured encomiums on the police and the Edo State Government for the initiative to check activities of kidnappers. There is hope that this will reduce the incidents of kidnapping and other criminal activities in that axis and elsewhere in the state.