• Deploy operatives, drones to detect impending security breaches
• Monarchs issue security advisory to subjects, re-jig administrative structures

Against the backdrop of the rising spate of killings and abduction of traditional rulers in the country, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has beefed up security around monarchs and palaces across the country.

Findings by The Guardian also showed that local communities have adopted some security measures to secure their kings and also maintain law and order in their areas.

However, insider sources said that many of the traditional rulers live in fear and have cut down on their public outings as well as re-jigged their administrative styles to carry the majority of community members along and enhance peace building.

Recall that on Monday, January 29, 2024, two monarchs in Ekiti State, the Elesun of Esun-Ekiti, Oba David Ogunsakin and the Onimojo of Imojo-Ekiti, Oba Samuel Olatunji, were brutally murdered by assailants on their way from a security meeting held in Irele-Ekiti.

Another monarch, the Alara of Ara-Ekiti, Oba Adebayo Fatoba, who was said to be in the same vehicle with the victims, survived the attack by the assailants who emerged from the forest.

Also on February 2, 2024, the police confirmed the killing of a traditional ruler in Kwara State, the Onikoro of Koro-Ekiti, Peter Aremu, in Ekiti Local Council of the state by kidnappers. The gunmen reportedly abducted two persons from the palace, including the wife of the king, but she was rescued by the police a few days ago.

In the last few months, two prominent monarchs in Mbaise area of Imo State were also killed.

One of them was kidnapped from his palace but his body was found on a road with one of his legs cut off two days later.

Last month, the immediate past chairman of the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, Samuel Ohiri, was for the second time, abducted from his palace in Obi Orodo, Mbaitoli Local Council of the state. He was in the dungeon of his captors for 12 days before he was released.

According to him, he paid an unspecified ransom to regain freedom, maintaining that police did not play any role in his release.

Currently, there are security concerns in Avu and Ihiagwa axis of Owerri West Local Council of the state, following the exhumation of four bodies by the police in the forest about two weeks ago.

Gripped by fear, the monarchs in the areas announced some security and safety measures after a meeting with their subjects.

A security advisory circulated by the traditional rulers in the areas to residents read in part: “With the spate of insecurity in Avu, it is now necessary that Avu indigenes should be on alert at all times. We should minimise our social activities until security is restored. We should not move alone but in droves when going into the bushes or forests surrounding Avu. We should restrict our movements and if we are to travel, we must come back before 6:00pm. Security forms of ‘Know Your Neighbour’ will be distributed to every household. We are in a state of emergency and must observe the security protocols.

“With the spate of insecurity in Avu and its environs, it is very necessary that all hands must be on deck to beef up internal security.”

However, the state Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, has promised to increase security around the monarchs in the state until law and order are restored in the communities.

Also, the Bayelsa State Police Command under the new Commissioner of Police, CP Francis Iduh, has assured traditional rulers in the state of their safety, saying the command has put a new technology in place to keep criminals in check.

Speaking with The Guardian on the strategies put in place to safeguard some palaces and the monarchs, the spokesman of the command, Musa Mohammed, said there was no cause for alarm.

Mohammed said the police in Bayelsa have adopted technology to curb crime, adding that the command has deployed drones to monitor crimes and detect trouble spots early. He noted that the Commissioner of Police has a good knowledge of the state’s terrain and has brought new strategies to combat crime head on.

“There is no room for any crime, because our eyes are on the sky. We will continue to ensure our policing stability. We look forward to a good relationship and we will improve even more. We now operate with eagle eyes,” he said. .

In Delta State, The Guardian gathered that the police and local vigilantes have been engaged to secure Ogwashi-Uku palace and protect the life of the king, Obi Okonjo.

It was learnt that since the murder of Obuluku monarch and the kidnap of the mother of former Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, some years ago, the issue of security is being taken very seriously in the area.

Prince Onyema Okonjo, who spoke on the situation, said: “We are very alive with the police and local vigilantes that help to secure the palace. We don’t have any major problems in Delta State since Obuluku monarch was killed,” he said.

He, however, said there was a lot of security concern following the attack on traditional rulers in other parts of the country.

Nevertheless, the state police spokesman, Bright Edafe, said the police have taken the necessary steps to secure the palaces across the state.

He said: “We have always been having security in the palaces across the state. Since I came on board, we have not recorded any kidnapping incident of any kind among the kings in the state. We are taking care of them the best way we can.”

Observations and interactions with personal guards and the police attached to the palaces visited in Plateau State showed that criminal elements would find it extremely difficult to beat the security to kill or kidnap the kings.

At the palace of Long’Gamai of Shendam, aggressive guards and policemen do not allow any strange visitor to see the king without fulfilling the necessary requirements.

“The police will search the person with metal detectives, scrutinise him and make sure the visitor is not secretly armed. After that, we will now go and inform the chief and if the chief says he knows the visitor, the guards will now lead the visitor into the palace proper.

“When familiarity is noticed in the ensuing conversations between the king and the visitor, we would now leave them,” one of the guards told The Guardian on the condition of anonymity.

IGP Egbetokun

At the palace of Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Dr. Jacob Gyang Buba, who is the chairman of all traditional rulers and emirs in the state, security was even tighter.

According to his Personal Assistant, Mr. Sunny Dung, no visitor just walks in to see the king, explaining that an appointment has to be booked with him first.

Dung pointed out that the visitor must disclose his or her mission in the process of booking the appointment and would be given a date to see the king if pleased with his mission.

In Kaduna State, the Police Command said it was adequately working to ensure that lives and properties of traditional rulers in the state are well safeguarded.

The command described traditional rulers as important stakeholders that contribute to the safety of communities across the state.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mansir Hassan, in an interview, said they were concerned about the wellbeing and safety of the traditional rulers because they inform security operatives about security breaches within their communities.

Asked whether the police have intensified security around the traditional rulers following the increasing rate of attacks on them in some areas, Hassan said: “There are security outposts in every part of the state where we have traditional rulers.

“The traditional rulers collaborate with us to ensure the safety of communities. More so, we attach our personnel like the rapid response team and intelligence officers to them.

“We also provide security cover for them every time they travel. We know their importance because they have been very helpful.”

The Guardian observed a multi-layered security check at the palace of the Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Ahmad Nuhu Bamali, where there were palace guards (Dogarin Sarki) in their numbers, the Kaduna Vigilante Service (KADVS) and some policemen.

A source at the palace explained that the multi-layered security approach helps to ensure the safety of the emir.

According to him, security arrangements for the Emir of Zazzau typically involve a combination of local law enforcement, private security firms and sometimes assistance from federal security agencies.

“Specific details may vary and security measures are often kept confidential to ensure effectiveness.

“Our traditional rulers have personal security details, secure residences and travel with escorts to mitigate potential risks,” the source said.

In Rivers State, findings by The Guardian revealed that traditional rulers in the state have become more intentional about carrying everyone along in administering their domains as a strategy to enhance security of lives and property.

In 2021, the chairman of Abissa Council of Chiefs in Akuku-Toru Local Council of the state, Mathew Opoto, was kidnapped along the Abissa waterways while going for a function in the area.

Also in October 2021, Operatives of the Divisional Police Station in Bori exhumed the decomposed bodies of Chief Robert Loolo, the paramount Ruler of Luuwa Community in Khana local council, who was abducted over two years ago.

It was learnt that some of the royal fathers have inaugurated grassroots leaders in various communities with the mandate to maintain peace and order.

King Onunwor, the Senior Special Assistant On Media to the Eze Oha Evo III of Evo Kingdom, Eze Woji XII, HM King Leslie Nyebuchi Eke, revealed that the monarch recently inaugurated 18 Special Assistants (SA) and advisers to manage their communities on his behalf.

He said: “The King doesn’t rule alone. Two weeks ago, he inaugurated about 18 SAs with the mandate to manage their own communities and other areas on his behalf. So, rather than waiting for the king to arrive at any given situation, the people will report to these representatives first. Assuredly, when there is peace and order in communities, the safety of the royal fathers is guaranteed.

“This is part of the reason we have peace in our various communities. The king also allows open door policies. Once in a while, he calls for town hall meetings to discuss issues with everybody in his community.

“Last week, an 18 years old case, which has caused severe community crisis and insecurity, was settled at the palace.

“So, I can say this strategy is working effectively in Rivers State because security is not one man’s business.”

The spokesperson of the State Police Command, Grace Iringe Koko, also attributed the enhanced security around traditional rulers in the state to good synergy and a cordial relationship between the police and royal fathers as well as other stakeholders.

She noted that the state Commissioner of Police, CP Tunji Disu, has been very proactive since assumption of duty towards eradicating insecurity, adding that he has put in place adequate security to guarantee the safety of the royal fathers.

To a first class traditional ruler in Cross River State and Paramount Ruler of Efut Kingdom, His Majesty Maurice Okon Eyo 1, the integration of the traditional institution into the state and national security and governance framework would help to checkmate the challenge of insecurity in the country.

The monarch, who spoke in his palace in Calabar yesterday during an exclusive chat with The Guardian on the spate of killing and kidnapping of traditional rulers in the country, said a constitutional role for traditional rulers in the country would ensure stability in governance and drastically reduce criminality in the country.

He said: “Creating constitutional roles for traditional rulers as custodians of the culture and traditions of the people nationwide is the way Nigeria must go.

“Traditional rulers have been running the affairs of this country without any clearly defined role for them in the constitution and the result is seen in the inability of the country to adequately manage the socio-economic and security challenges we have today. These challenges have been on the increase.
“As leaders closest to the people at the grassroots and the symbol of the people’s tradition and culture, we have been playing very useful roles in checkmating activities of criminal elements in our various communities but since we don’t have a constitutional role, there is little we can do.”

On what he was doing to ward off potential attackers, the Muri Munene of Efut Kingdom added: “Since the recent abduction of one of us here in Cross River State, I have beefed up security around myself especially when I am going out for any official engagement. Beyond this, I have palace guards who are on 24 hours duty and as well as crack vigilante groups operating in our communities. I know that this is not enough to secure me, so I also pray to God for his divine protection.”

The chairman, Cross River State Traditional Rulers Council and Paramount Ruler of Bakassi Local Council, Etinyin Etim Okon Edet, who also decried the killings and kidnapping of traditional rulers, stated that to curtail the trend, local vigilante must be allowed to work throughout the federation.

“For me, it is only God that protects, but I also have a security arrangement in place to avoid any ugly incident,” he said.