𝗗𝗘𝗟𝗧𝗔 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗬: 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐂 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐇𝐀𝐔𝐋

By 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝗷𝗲𝗶(𝗪𝗼𝗻𝗴  𝗕𝗼𝘅)

The recent successful operation by the 𝐂𝐏- 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 that led to the elimination of four suspected kidnappers and recovery of three AK-47 rifles is commendable and must be recognised as a brave and strategic win in the fight against insecurity in Delta State.

We commend the Commissioner of Police, 𝐂𝐏 𝐎𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐢 𝐀𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚, and his tactical team for their dedication and swift action, especially in trailing and neutralizing 𝐀𝐛𝐮𝐛𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐫 𝐔𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐚.𝐤.𝐚 “𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐡𝐮” — a notorious gang leader responsible for multiple kidnappings and murders, including the tragic killing of Realtor 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐣𝐨𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐫 𝐆𝐨𝐝𝐰𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐮𝐤𝐚.

However, as the parable goes:

“𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗿”.

This quote by Comrade Victor Ojei, popularly called Wong Box, serves as a solemn reminder that isolated victories, no matter how laudable, do not equate to lasting peace and security.

The Delta State Government must now rise to the occasion. The welfare and security of the people are the primary responsibilities of the government. It is no longer enough to depend solely on police bravery; we must now talk about strategic empowerment of our security forces.

Every Police Division should have a fully operational 𝘃𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 for daily response.

𝗕𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 must be standard issue, especially for officers deployed to ungoverned forest regions where criminal syndicates thrive.

Financial incentives similar to what Lagos State provides its officers must be implemented — and Delta State, rich in human and natural resources, can do even better.

This victory, while symbolic, is only a flashpoint in a state plagued by many others:

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐔𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡?

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐊𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐞?

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐝𝐨𝐤𝐰𝐚 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐢 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧?

For years, 𝐖𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐨𝐱 and his team have been raising alarms about these zones, creating awareness even while government stakeholders were busy publishing image-laundering stories in the media to portray Delta State as “𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞.”

Today, those once labelled as detractors have been vindicated. The truth cannot be hidden, and we remain proud that we stood by the people.

Another crucial but ignored weapon in this war is the local Hunters Associations. These hunters are the ones who know the terrain.

These are the men who roam the forests where these kidnappers and criminals hide. For years, 𝗪𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗼𝘅 and his team have submitted their contact details to the relevant authorities — yet till this day, no government stakeholder has engaged them.

𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐬 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫: 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞,𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧,𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐲.

We must not lose the war simply because we are celebrating the battle. The path to heaven is paved with truth, and as followers of Jesus Christ — the Way, the Truth, and the Life — we must remain committed to speaking truth to power.

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤, 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞,𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐓𝐀 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭-𝐈𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫.𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐮𝐩 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝗷𝗲𝗶(𝗪𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗼𝘅)

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘁,𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.