Amalgamated Afemai Forum (AAF) has unveiled a 350-man Oduma Security Squad (OPS) to protect Edo-North Senatorial Zone from increasing cases of banditry and kidnapping. 

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony in Auchi, Edo State, the forum Chairman, Muhammed Mustafa Lecky, called on sons and daughters from the zone to support the initiative, saying security is everyone’s business, irrespective of status or class.  

He urged those yet to respond to their pleas to do so.
[ad]
“We need more from everyone, low or mighty, as we are bound by a common destiny. We just need to believe more in ourselves so we can succeed against all odds,” he said.

He stated that Afemailand is a transit area from East, West, North, and Middle Belt, making it difficult to tackle security challenges without adequate resources.
 
He noted that Oduma Protection Squad has risen to the challenge in spite of poor funding.

AAF was conceived by Afemai indigenes at home and abroad as a panacea to frequent banditry and kidnapping in the zone, which consists of six councils.

According to Lecky, with 350 OPS gallant men, the forum has created a Rapid Response Unit (RRU), comprising 40 men prepared to respond to distress and emergency calls and incidents anywhere and whenever across the Afemailand.
[ad]
“We have designed a mechanism that enables us to work with all councils’ Heads of Service (HOS) across the six councils in Edo North. AAF regularly participates in and supports council-level security meetings and briefings as convened by extant government directives.

“We have created an Intelligence Gathering and Information Unit of AAF, which, essentially, does the 24 hours surveillance and tracking of OPS operations. The unit is charged with the responsibility of detecting soft spots of kidnapping and recurring points of attacks, including profiling,” he added.

Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Dr. Samson Omosotomhe, said: “A secure Afemai is our collective responsibility and, as an institution, we are committed to this goal,” adding that the convocation of the summit underscored the seriousness security with which issues must be handled. 

According to him, this year’s summit was important because it took into account numerous security challenges faced not only in Afemailand but across Edo State and Nigeria as a whole. 

“OPS is set to help combat the upsurge of increased armed robbery, kidnappings, and other heinous crimes across Afenmai, which will be done in collaboration with other stakeholders such as the police and other security agencies.”
[ad]