Eluwa Tochukwu -Delta

In a bid to stem the rising case of insecurity in Delta State ,the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa led government has hinted plan to establish it’s own security outfit code name Delta Hawk to tackle rising Criminal Activities,and Fulani Herder-Farmers Clashe in the State.This plan was made known by the Secretary to Delta State Government, Barrister Chiedu Ebie, at a press conference in Asaba, saying that a Bill would be sent to the House of Assembly to give it a legal backing.

The new security outfit is meant to serve as a special dragnet to protect citizens and at the same time to apprehend, arrest and prosecute criminal minded individuals, social deviants and unscrupulous elements involved themselves in criminal act of rapping, kidnapping, assault occasioning harm and extra judicial killings of defenceless citizens, etcetera.

The SSG stated that the recent developments and happenings in and around the state revealed that some criminal minded Fulani Herders had positioned themselves in strategic locations and communities, majority of them hiding under cattle business and other lawful activities to perpetuate heinous crimes thereby increasing crime rates in the state, a development Gov Okowa and this administration vehemently condemned and tagged “unacceptable,” hence the proposed establishment of “Operation Delta Hawk,” due to be officially launched soon.

On his own part the executive assistant to Governor Okowa on communication Barr. Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe stated It will be recalled that Governor Okowa, recently ordered the closure and relocation of Abraka market in Asaba, in a bid to end the wave of crime within and around the area. It was also reported that a busy Fulani settlement in Okpanam town, was alleged to have been touched as a result of the worrisome spate of criminal activities believed to have been perfected and executed by some deviant young Fulanis.

It follows that the subsequent establishment of Operation Delta Hawk, will to a large extent deal with the vexed issue of rising crime rate in the state. The Governor’s visionary leadership in this regard received swift endorsement of traditional rulers, civil society groups, youth and community leaders in the state.

SSG Ebie while adducing reasons for the establishment of the new security outfit christened “Operation Delta Hawk” said:”The state government was concerned about the rising insecurity in the state occasioned by herders-farmers clashes, kidnapping and other criminal activities in the state.He stated “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.

“The new security outfit would work with the vigilante groups and other security agencies in actualising the objectives. We are concerned with the rising wave of insecurity involving clashes between herders and their host 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,’’ “A Bill would be sent to the House of Assembly to give it a legal backing.

“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 current challenge and other related forms of violence. The Joint Security Outfit has been christened Operation Delta Hawk (OPDH),”The process of implementing the new security outfit is being worked out and we will brief Deltans further as we get more details,” he stated.