Obiano’s Bakassi boys tackling insecurity on a digital level

The local vigilante group in Anambra State known as the ‘Bakassi Boys’ which started under former governor  Chinwoke Mbadinujwu several years ago has metamorphosed into what is today known as “Operation Kpochapu  1 and 2”. It is, however, one of the many efforts of Governor Willie Obiano aimed at making Anambra a safe and secure […]

The local vigilante group in Anambra State known as the ‘Bakassi Boys’ which started under former governor  Chinwoke Mbadinujwu several years ago has metamorphosed into what is today known as “Operation Kpochapu  1 and 2”. It is, however, one of the many efforts of Governor Willie Obiano aimed at making Anambra a safe and secure state for peaceful living and investment.

The Bakassi Boys comprised youths known for anti-crime vigilantism and were usually armed with guns and machetes.

However, they were sometimes accused of illegal activities and human rights abuses, but enjoyed popular support from citizens, given how criminals were terrorising the state.

The boys emerged as a vigilante group alongside a simultaneous sharp increase in crime rate in the state.

 

But political opponents of Mbadinujwu accused the group of extra-judicial killings and accused the governor of using them as weapons of intimidation and harassment.

As a result of heightened opposition and criticism, the group re-branded itself as “Anambra State Vigilante Services” after the governor presented a bill to the state House of Assembly which passed it into law.

The law gave the vigilante group legal backing to operate as crime fighters.

During Chris Ngige and Peter Obi administrations, the vigilante group existed as a complementary outfit to fight crime but was never expanded.

But, on assuming office as governor in 2014, Chief Willie Obiano launched Operation Kpochapu to strengthen the security architecture.

Obiano was said to have been a victim of an armed robbery at Upper Iweka in Onitsha as a youth corps member, so, on assumption of office as governor,  vowed to deal decisively with criminals, a feat he thought has so far been successful. Even his political opponents and detractors never doubted his efforts in crime-fighting.

As part of his efforts to secure lives and property,  Obiano on October 11, 2019, donated some modern security gadgets and vehicles to security agencies to tackle security threats and challenges.

The gadgets procured by the state government were donated during the launch in Awka, the state capital, of the second phase of the Smart City project known as Operation Kpochapu (Operation Wipe Out Crime).

Among the gadgets donated were Closed-Circuit Cameras (CCTVs) to be installed in  Awka, Nnewi and Onitsha, 111 Innosson vehicles, IVM patrol vehicles equipped with communication devices, three trucks, 71 motorbikes, 49 pick-ups and nine mobile surveillance vans equipped with electronic devices.

The patrol vehicles and bikes were distributed to the police,  army, navy, civil defence corps and road safety corps.

Other beneficiaries include the immigration service, correctional service, customs service and the drug law enforcement agency operating in the state.

During the handing over, Obiano said they were procured to ensure the safety of lives and property in the state.

“In the last five years,  Anambra has maintained an enviable record as Nigeria’s safest state and we are determined to make it more secure than ever.

“We believe that the key to a happy and prosperous state is a tight security architecture, which is why our administration made security our number one priority. Crime detection, arrest and punishment will be easy because these security devices are some of the most sophisticated and highly effective surveillance equipment in the world today,”  he said.

He advised criminals to leave the state, as the second phase of Operation Kpochapu would be deadlier than the first.

“We have declared a total war on criminals such as kidnappers,  human traffickers,  bandits,  cultists and car snatchers. I’m warning all criminals in the state to disappear and I am also warning those with the intention of coming not to try.

“This operation Kpochapu ll will be deadlier. If you shoot at our law enforcement agents,  we are going to wipe you out immediately because we are not interested in recycling any criminal,” he said.

Obiano appealed to the police as the lead security agency to collaborate with the other agencies to effectively utilise the gadgets.

He also urged residents to report crime and suspicious movements within their environment by calling the toll-free line  112.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu who received the equipment on behalf of the security agencies, said the gadgets would motivate and enhance the operational capacities of the agencies.

“I thought my coming to Anambra was to collect a few vehicles, but I am overwhelmed by the equipment and vehicles donated,” he said.

Adamu thanked Obiano for prioritising security and urged other governors to emulate him.

“The security of this state is very paramount, being one of the most populous states in the federation and we promise to fully deploy this equipment to combat crime and ensure public security and safety in the state. I call on indigenes of Anambra to come back home for the Christmas celebration as their safety is guaranteed, ” he added.

The state Commissioner for  Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr. C. Don Adinuba, said the Smart City Security Project was inspired by the governor’s visit to Massachusetts, United States, in October 2018 when he toured places like the Cambridge Innovation Centre, Boston University and Industrial Video and Control in Boston.

According to him, the governor was struck by the sophisticated surveillance cameras from industrial video and control developed in conjunction with researchers at the Cambridge Innovation Centre and other research centres in Massachusetts.

“These products proved effective in helping the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to identify the two brothers originally from Kyrgyzstan, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, that on April 15, 2013, bombed participants in the annual Boston Marathon, killed three persons and injured many others, including 16 who lost their Legs,” he said.

Though the advanced surveillance cameras from Industrial Video and Control are not yet in some American cities and states, Obiano felt that those gadgets should be installed in Anambra State so that it would remain Nigeria’s safest state and as a result attract considerable investments.

He said for that equipment to operate effectively for 24 hours daily, they require electricity, which, unfortunately, is not always available in Nigeria.

According to him, to power them, the governor has opted for the solar-powered type. Adinuba also disclosed that some selected police officers were sent for two months training on how to operate the CCTV cameras and equipment in the vehicles.

The commissioner said the government recognises that crime can no longer be fought effectively in the traditional way, hence the need to deploy technologies.

In the more developed countries of the world, he said technologies have proved immensely useful in crime detection, prevention and fighting.

“Indeed, by deploying advanced technologies to safeguard the lives and assets of people, Anambra State has thrown a challenge to other governments in the federation. The federal government, for instance, needs to provide security and paramilitary agencies such equipment. The Customs Service for one, cannot realistically be expected in this day and age to stop smuggling or reduce socio-economic menace drastically without technology. The military, which has engaged in a patriotic fight against insurgents, can be assisted to stop suicide bombings by providing soldiers with modern technology” he said.

The Special Adviser to Governor Obiano on Creative Security, AVM Ben Chiobi (rtd) said the project was designed to succeed, given that the state had put plans on groud before the launch.

He said the government had trained security operatives and some civilians to manage the equipment for effective services. He advised unrepentant criminals to relocate or have a rethink on their activities.