The Commander General of the Oduma Protection Squad (OPS) and a recognized security expert, Mr. Martins Sadoh, revealed the significant progress made by the Amalgamated Afemai Forum (AAF) in addressing insecurity in Edo State, specifically in the Edo North Senatorial District.
The AAF initiative, aimed at enhancing security in the region, led to the establishment of OPS in partnership with the Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) in December 2022. Sadoh highlighted that the 350-strong OPS team has significantly curtailed banditry and kidnapping incidents in the district within a year of its inception.
Sadoh, who is also a visiting resource person from the Institute of Security and Global Affairs in Bamako, Mali, expressed his concern for the farmers who were forced to abandon their farms due to security threats.
He stated, “The farmers’ situation became desperate as their primary source of livelihood, farming, was almost taken away from them by bandits and kidnappers.”
Motivated by his Afemai roots and his expertise in security, Sadoh felt compelled to act. The result was the launch of OPS in December of the previous year, which was attended by the deputy governor of Edo state.
He emphasized, “Security is everyone’s responsibility, regardless of status or class. We all must contribute our share to ensure our homeland is safe and secure for us to conduct our daily activities.”
Sadoh expressed satisfaction with the progress made by OPS, noting that the team has made over 65 arrests since its operations began.
He said, “Our team has made most forests unsafe for these criminal elements to carry out their usual activities unchallenged.”
During the launch, OPS was provided with six Sienna vehicles and 30 motorcycles. However, Sadoh appealed for additional support from individuals and organizations to enable OPS to achieve greater success.
He stated, “We need more contributions from everyone, regardless of their status, as we are united by a common goal: to ensure a safer environment for all of us to carry out our daily activities without fear of being killed or abducted.”
Sadoh praised the role of JDPC, the Catholic Bishop of Auchi, Bishop Gabriel Dunia; the Convener of AAF, Dr. Bright Aregs; and the Chairman, Dr. Lecky Muhammed, for the success achieved by OPS so far.
He also urged the government to engage the services of private security outfits for intelligence gathering and other tasks to address the country’s security challenges.
He said, “This is a common practice in developed countries, including the U.S. The use of private security outfits for intelligence gathering and some covert operations. Our armed forces, which are among the best in Africa, are overstretched. They need assistance, and it’s only private security outfits that can provide that help for them to achieve more success in addressing the country’s security problem.”
