By Perez Brisibe
UGHELLI—A combined team of operatives from Operation Delta Safe, ODS, comprising Department of State Security, DSS and the Nigerian Police Force, Thursday, began a two-day aerial and land surveillance at some communities in Delta State hit by attacks by suspected herdsmen.

Members of the Nigerian Special Forces Unit rappel from a helicopter during the African Land Forces Summit (ALFS) military demonstration held at General Ao Azazi barracks in Gwagwalada on April 17, 2018.

Some of the communities under surveillance include Uwheru, Agadama, Ohoro, all in Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state.

Residents of the affected communities told Vanguard that they sighted  a hovering chopper and hundreds of security personnel in the area about 11a.m., on Wednesday.

It will be recalled that the state governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, recently tasked the police on the spate of insecurity in Uwheru,  hinting that locals were compelled to pay levies to herdsmen before being allowed to access their farmlands.

Confirming the surveillance, a senior police officer from the Ughelli Area Command, who participated in the operation, said the surveillance was being conducted by the DSS office Asaba in partnership with other sister security agencies following series of reports of herdsmen activities in the area.

The source said: “One chopper and no fewer than  400 security personnel were deployed for the operation which started at about 11a.m.”