Bello seeks joint armed forces operations in Kogi

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has called on the Minister of Defence to urgently direct joint operations by the Nigerian Armed Forces in the state to further decimate criminal and terrorist elements.

Governor Bello made the call yesterday when he commissioned and handed over to the Nigerian Army, a Forward Operational Base (FOB) his administration built for the military at Achoze in Okene Local Government Area, to boost their efforts in fighting crime and insecurity in the state. 

He said the appeal for a joint armed forces operations in the state was imperative in view of available intelligence which indicate that some terrorists elements want to gain a foothold, especially within the Central Senatorial district. 

Bello said the operational base project which gulped N204.6m was meant to support the military in actualising his administration’s policy objective of zero tolerance for kidnapping, armed robbery, communal clashes and other acts of violence in the state. 

He said the state was ‘helplessly in the grip’ of kidnappers, armed robbers and other criminal elements when he assumed office over a year ago, adding that the launch of a joint operation code-named “Operation Total Freedom” which currently has about 545 active troops had helped in tackling the rate of insecurity, especially kidnapping in the state.

Bello said he would continue to support and collaborate with the military and other security agencies ensure security of lives and property. He said the efforts of the security agencies in changing the negative narrative of insecurity in the state had led to an  increase in the number of expatriates living and working in the state from the hitherto 73 to 180 at present. 

Earlier, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai had commended the governor for the donation of an operational base and other logistic support. 

Buratai, who was represented at the occasion by Major Gen. Rasheed Yusuf, said the operational base would assist its troops in tackling activities of kidnappers, armed robbers and terrorist elements operating in the state.