Delta govt to establish security outfit to tackle kidnapping, banditry, others

Delta State government said on Tuesday it had commenced moves to establish a security force to check rising insecurity in the state.

The Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, who disclosed this at a media briefing in Asaba, said the proposed security outfit would be christened “Operation Delta Hawk.”

The Delta State government’s move is coming barely four months after governors in the South West part of the country established the Operation Amotekun to tackle armed robbery, kidnapping, and banditry in the region.

Ebie said the government was concerned about the rising insecurity in the state occasioned by herdsmen-farmers clashes, kidnapping, and other crimes in the state.

He said Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was worried about the deaths and injuries resulting from the clashes and decided to establish the outfit to address the problem.

The SSG added that the new security outfit would work with the vigilante groups and other security agencies in the state to achieve its objective.

He said: “This matter has been under the focus of the state government since the inception of this administration and had informed the appointments and governance structure that has been created since then.

“The structure included the Office of Special Adviser (Peace-Building and Conflict Resolution), appointments of persons of Northern extraction, and formation of vigilante groups in various communities.

“At the same time, we have been very active in the use of intelligence and a recent outcome of this application is the demolition and relocation of the Abraka Market which had turned into a meeting point and haven for criminally-minded persons.

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“We have also been quite active in engaging with herders and their host communities to ensure mutual trust and peaceful co-existence through the offices of some of the political appointees.”

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