The principal purpose of any government, whether at the national or State level, is to secure and protect the lives and properties of its citizens. Since December 2024, Edo State has been seemingly grappling with a resurgence of crime and insecurity and this has left many residents wondering how the State, which was repositioned as one of Nigeria’s safest places to live and do business during the Godwin Obaseki-led administration has now become so unsafe.

The strategic and unique location of Edo State as a nodal State requires a multi-faceted approach that addresses immediate threats, strengthens institutions, and tackles root causes of crime and insecurity.

The security challenges facing Edo State today are not new, however, between 2016 and 2024, the Obaseki-led administration deployed very novel and effective policies and steps to curtail the menace of criminals and provide an atmosphere of safety which encouraged and spurred economic growth.

Core to tackling insecurity during the Obaseki era was the strong leadership provided by the governor through effective coordination and collaboration between federal security agencies (police, military, DSS) and state agencies (Edo Security Network) to contain kidnapping, farmer/herders’ clashes, armed robbery, and cultism, among others.

Regular security council meetings facilitated coordination between the police, DSS, NSCDC, and other security agencies. These meetings, chaired by the governor, ensured timely intelligence sharing and a unified response to security threats.

Obaseki invested in refurbishing the Nigeria Police Training School in Benin City and trained over 15,000 Vigilantes from communities across the 18 local government areas in the State. These operatives who have very good knowledge of their communities were vetted and rigorously trained by federal security agencies.

The second plank of the Security Plan was the use of technology. The Edo State Security Management System Software was developed to document every reported security incident in the State.

A world-class, state-of-the-art Solomon Arase Command and Control Centre was built to house all security agencies, including the fire service from where response to incidents was coordinated. Surveillance Systems, including cameras in urban centres (e.g., Benin City) and drones for rural areas, feed information into the Command and Control Centre. This 24/7 Call/Command and Control Centre also provides emergency assistance to citizens through well trained and professional agents, ready to respond to any and all complaints and emergency anytime of the day, all year round and forward same to the relevant authorities for response. This initiative improved reaction time and enhanced public confidence in law enforcement.

Drones and trackers to monitor activities of gangs and kidnappers were also acquired and deployed. In addition to that of the Nigerian police, the Obaseki administration also invested in infrastructure to support response by the military, through the establishment of Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) for the Nigerian Army to strengthen security in strategic locations such as in Sobe  to manage crime along the Edo/Ondo border, while the FOB in Ehor was established to tackle kidnapping and other crimes along the Ehor-Ekpoma-Auchi axis. It also put in place plans to build another FOB in Igarra, Akoko Edo, to enhance security around the Edo-Kogi border.

To tackle and dislodge criminal elements from the Okomu forests and fight illegal loggers, several gunboats were deployed to secure the waterways around the Ologbo-Gelegele axis, a critical intervention that helped curb kidnapping and other criminal activities in riverine communities.

In the communities, traditional institutions were empowered and encouraged to support security efforts in their domains. The Obaseki-led administration increased the amounts payable to traditional rulers and ensured that traditional rulers actively participated in their local Government Security Committees. With more resources, traditional rulers were now able to help maintain order and organize security structures within their domains effectively.

By dismantling the structures of non-state actors and disarming many of them, the Obaseki government was able to drastically reduce thuggery and the activities of various armed gangs, and other non-state actors that undermined public safety and security. This effort reinstated government authority and ensured that the rule of law prevailed. The  military was particularly helpful in disarming many of these hoodlums.

These measures, alongside other security interventions, played a crucial role in keeping crime in check and ensuring the safety of residents across Edo State till the end of the Obaseki administration

In summary, by defining a very comprehensive security plan and an effective execution through the direct leadership of the governor, Edo State’s improved tremendously during the Obaseki era, which helped in making Edo the safest State in the South-South region and one of the most secure in the country till the twilight of his administration in 2024.

Uwagbale is a security consultant and former Commissioner for Security and Public Safety, Edo State