Delta State Government, Tuesday, hinted on its resolve to establish a Joint Security Taskforce christened, “Operation Delta Hawk”, to fight rising insecurity in the state.
The government said that the new security outfit which would be drawn from existing security agencies, would work in collaboration with existing security agencies in collaboration with respective vigilante groups.in the state, in actualising the objective.
As tasking as the funding requirements of this new body might be, the state government sees it as a realistic and an inevitable response to the currents challenge and other related forms of violence, said the Secretary to the State Government, Chiedu Ebie.
Ebie who dropped the hint at a news conference in Asaba, said that the state government would be heading to the State House of Assembly in the next few days to present a bill that would give the outfit a legal backing.
Ebie who was flanked by the Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu and Olisah Ifeajiaka, Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, said that the state government was concerned about the rising insecurity in the state occasioned by herders-farmers clashes, kidnapping and other crimes.
He said that the state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, was worried about cases of death and injuries resulting from the clashes and therefore, resolved to set up a security outfit to be controlled by the state in managing the security challenges.
“This matter has been under the focus of the State Government since inception of this administration and had informed the appointments and governance structure that has been created since then.
“It included the creation of 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.
“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.
“Against this background, the recent clashes are quite unfortunate, but let me re-assure Deltans that the administration of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa is rising up to this challenge.
“Already, full compliments of our security outfit are investigating the incidents and I am aware that some arrests have been made as mentioned by the Commissioner of Police recently,’’ he said.
Ebie called on the people not to resort to self-help in the event of any attack as such response was capable of precipitating endless cycle of violence which would do no good to anybody.
He condoled with the families affected by the recent conflicts and urged Deltans to give the state government the peaceful social space for the various initiatives to run their courses,
including collaborating with the Federal Government to find solution to this national challenge.
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