By Seyi Bakare

Insecurity isn’t new to Ogun State. It has had its own fair share of the wave of the security challenges afflicting the country.

Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State

But beyond that, Ogun is a border state and is prone to all sorts of trans-border crimes.

For the record, it shares border with Republic of Benin at more than one point and, as everyone knows, the nation’s borders are porous in a way that compromises security. Criminals from outside the country come in and go out unhindered after carrying out heinous crimes.

Under successive administrations, securing the state has been a huge challenge.

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Banditry and kidnapping in different parts of Ogun, especially on the highways, nearly overwhelmed the immediate past administration.

The dust raised by the administration’s acquisition of weapons in its response to the wave of insecurity but which were kept at the Government House Abeokuta rather than with security agencies is yet to die down. It is therefore no surprise that security is high on the agenda of Governor Dapo Abiodun.

Even the most ardent critics of the governors agree that this is the way to go because of the peculiar nature of the state as investors’ destination and the second largest economy in Nigeria after Lagos.

Any governor that wants to retain that status ordinarily has to secure his jurisdiction. Abiodun started his campaign to provide security for lives and property in Ogun from the moment he assumed office and the efforts are paying off.

The story is told of how he had gone for a retreat organised by the Nigeria Governors Forum in Abuja barely two weeks after he took office and, while there, story broke that some passengers in transit from the South-East to Lagos had been kidnapped around Ijebu Ode.

One of the kidnapped persons was a pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and the incident happened ahead of the national convention of one of the largest churches in the country.

Rattled by the news, Abiodun was said to have left the retreat venue and headed to the Presidential Villa where he met President Muhammadu Buhari to beg him to urgently do something about crime in Ogun, particularly kidnapping and banditry.

A listening President, according to sources, immediately consulted with his security chiefs and it was decided that a helicopter specially designed for crime fighting be deployed to Ogun. With the helicopter in tow, Abiodun headed home.

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It took the copter less than 24 hours to unmask the hideout of the kidnappers and what followed was the rescue of the victims. It was learnt that the reason banditry and kidnapping appear to have subsided in the state is partly because the copter is active in Ogun and will fish criminals out if they make the wrong move.

Abiodun has, in the meantime, followed this up with his donation of 100 vehicles and 200 motorcycles to the police to demonstrate his commitment to security in his state.

While presenting the patrol vehicles and motorcycles to the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, and the state Commissioner of Police, Bashir Makama, the governor said the vehicles were provided to enhance policing in Ogun.

“The fact that Ogun State has assumed the status of investors’ destination of choice means that our dear state has attained a certain level of socio-economic development with noticeable growth in trade and commerce. What this means is that Ogun State is fast attaining a mega status”, he said at the occasion to mark his 100 days in office.

“We also appreciate the fact that this mega status comes with a wide range of opportunities for the continued development of our dear state and attendant challenges especially in terms of security. This means that we must also ensure we have a mega security apparatus that will be efficient and effective.

“For this reason, let me reassure all the security agencies in Ogun State that our Administration will continue to support them with logistics and other wherewithals within available means.”

He added that a wave of criminal activities in the state had tested his administration’s resolve in providing security, but strongly warned that “hell will be a child’s play for criminals.”

While receiving the vehicles, IGP Adamu applauded Abiodun for the gesture, urging other governors across the country to follow suit.

“All the state governors have promised to buy vehicles for security agencies in their various states. We are in Ogun and we have seen the reality.

“We call on other state governors within the zone to emulate what the governor of Ogun has done. What he has done is to encourage security agencies in the state to do more than what they have been doing. The state has been peaceful, there are cases of kidnapping that happened and we have been able to solve them in order to remain as peaceful as it used to be.

“I have spoken with the officers and they have also told me that the support the governor has been giving them. I have seen it myself and they have also promised that they will redouble their efforts to make sure that Ogun is the safest state in this country”.

Many people may not know this. Security is dear to the heart of Abiodun not only because he has a duty to protect Ogun people as the chief security officer but also because he appreciates the benefits of a secure environment being a security consultant himself.

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The governor played a key role in the coming into being of ‘Operation Sweep’, a crime fighting outfit in Lagos State, in mid 90s when he was the brain behind the project that saw crime in all parts of the state being reported to a central command in record time.

The project drastically reduced crime in Lagos because reports on robbery and other criminal activities meant that operatives had to be deployed quickly.

To secure Ogun, Abiodun, only three and a half months into his four-year tenure, has just started and things can only get better. As the tenure continues, residents can be rest assured that they can sleep with their two eyes closed.

• Seyi Bakare, a security consultant, contributes this piece from Mowe, Ogun State

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