Group Lauds OPSH
Global Peace and Life Rescue Initiative, GOPRI, yesterday commended men of Operation Safe Haven, OPSH, for apprehending suspected bandits and criminals who have been terrorizing Southern Kaduna.
Some suspected criminal elements likely to have been involved in the attacks and isolated killings in the area were arrested last weekend by security operatives Sector Commander of Operation Safe Haven in Kafanchan, Colonel David Nwankonobi, had said eight suspects were arrested at different locations with dangerous weapons in their possession during the operation carried out by the task force.
Items recovered from the suspected bandits paraded by security operatives in Kaduna included locally fabricated pump action guns, locally made pistols, 9 mm ammunition, machetes, and motorcycles.
Reacting to the success of security operatives, GOPRI said it was highly elated that the painstaking and tireless efforts by OPSH and other security agencies to arrest the ugly situation in Southern Kaduna had started yielding positive results.
The group, working on sustainable peacebuilding in Southern Kaduna and other restive parts of Nigeria, in a statement by its Executive Director, Amb. Melvin Ejeh said the success was a step towards ending the attacks and isolated killings in Southern Kaduna Ejeh said he was optimistic that given the development, the end to the persistent attacks and isolated killings in the area was near.
The humanitarian group, with interest in peacebuilding across the country, described the arrest of the suspected bandits and criminals as a major breakthrough in the ongoing efforts by the military to end the persistent attacks that had seen many lives and property lost in the area.
Ejeh thanked President Muhammadu Buhari and the military authorities in establishing OPSH to oversee Southern Kaduna, Plateau, and environs, saying it had to a large extent lived up to its responsibility.
He particularly thanked the OPSH Commander, Major General Chukwuemeka Okonkwo, for what it called “his relentless efforts and genuine commitment” to seeing to the end of the crises that had seen many lives and property lost.
According to him, the military outfit responsible for security in Plateau, parts of Bauchi State, and Southern Kaduna should be supported and encouraged.
The group, which noted that security agencies alone couldn’t end the onerous task of restoring total sanity to Southern Kaduna, called on community leaders and residents alike to support the military in terms of intelligence gathering and reports of suspicious movements as well as suspected criminals to the military.
“We are, therefore, appealing to communities to give timely and accurate information to the security agencies, since they can’t be everywhere.
“We must learn to see the security agencies like our own instead of sitting on the fence and waiting for an attack to happen before we start blaming the security agencies, we must also be bold enough to expose criminal elements in our midst,” Ejeh added.
Ayooluwa Joshua