Insecurity: Employ civilian JTF in fight against criminals in S’ West, Omatseye tells FG

WOLE BALOGUN, Ado Ekiti

A journalist and novelist, Mr. Sam Omatseye, has said the deployment of drones in the South West to track kidnappers and killers might fail, if there is no Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) to boost the intelligence gathering for security agencies to take proper actions.

Omatseye, who is on the Editorial board of The Nation newspapers, said the emasculation of the Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East by the military was made possible by the civilian JTF constituted by former Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Kashim Shettima.

He said the issue of bombings and killings in the North East, particularly in Borno State could have persisted, but for fearlessness of the locals constituted into the JTF for robust intelligence gathering.

Omatseye spoke on Thursday while delivering a lecture entitled: ‘To secure, first, we have to love: Herdsmen, kidnappers, Boko Haram and the climate of fear,” at the maiden edition of a public lecture organised by the Faculty of Arts, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti.

Also conferred with honourary awards at the lecture are senator representing Ekiti South, Mr. Adedayo Adeyeye, a House of Representatives member, Mr Yemi Adaramodu , Alhaji Wale Sanusi, an ICT guru, Dr. Tope Agbeyo, Barr. Tope Adebayo and the guest lecturer, Mr. Sam Omoseye.

Omatseye, represented by the Obanla of Ijesa Isu Ekiti, Oba Gabriel Oso Adeniyi, charged all Nigerians to see the issue of security as everybody’s business and not the sole responsibility of the government and security agencies.

Earlier, the acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olubunmi Ajayi, said no society that puts a value on human lives will underrate the menace of insecurity causing tension in the nation at present.

“This is an issue that bothers all the citizens of the nation regardless of race and tribes. So, it is the right issue to discuss”, she said.

Prof Ajayi assured that the management would continually support faculties to expand the frontiers of social and academic interactions that would solve many societal problems and boost the intellectual capacities of the students and lecturers.