By Godspower Eguasa
The Edo State Government has graduated 1,472 recruited officers of the Edo State Security Corps after two weeks of intensive training on Security Management, which held at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp in Okada, the administrative headquarters of Ovia North-East Local Government Area (LGA) of Edo State.
The Edo State Governor, Sen. Monday Okpebholo represented by his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Dennis Idahosa, charged the recruited State Security Corps on dedication and professionalism in the discharge of their duties. According to him, “It is with a high sense of responsibility that as the Chief Security Officer of Edo State, I consider security as one of the key elements of my five-point Agenda. The recent upsurge of crime in Nigeria has affected the security of lives and properties and thereby creating enormous anxiety, fears, and apprehension among the populace.
“In Edo State, the high rate of crime, especially in recent times, has been a source of concern to the Government. It was observed that the existing security agencies were overstretched and needed support. In this regard, the Edo State Government established the Edo State Security Corps, backed by the Edo State Government Law 2024, to assist the Police in intelligence gathering and low-level operations in combating criminality.”
Sen. Okpebholo continued, “Regrettably, the activities of the Corps were politicized, lacked professionalism, and have not met its set objectives. Based on such developments, I decided to reorganize and restructure the Edo State Security Corps, capable of meeting the demands of complex security emergencies.
“Looking at the display on the parade, together with the level of training the personnel were subjected to during the two weeks intensive training coordinated by the Nigerian Army, I hope it will reflect on their performance in providing the desired support to the Nigerian Police and other security agencies in combating crime in the State.”
Sen. Okpebholo pledged the continuous support of his administration in creating the enabling environment for the effectiveness of security operations in the State and commended the Nigerian Army for its continuous commitment to making Edo a safe place for residents.
“On our part, we shall provide the necessary logistics for the operational efficiencies of the rebranded Corps. Finally, I want to thank the Chief of Army Staff for approving the Brigade Commander to coordinate the training, and the Director General of the NYSC, for providing the Orientation Camp for the training of the security personnel,” Okpebholo concluded.
The Chairman of the Reorganization and Restructuring Committee of the Edo State Security Corps, Maj. Gen. Cecil Esekhaigbe, represented by Maj. Gen. Victor Ebhaleme (Rtd), commended the Edo State Governor, Sen. Okpebholo for his relentless commitment to security in the State. He assured Edo residents of a safe and improved security environment, leveraging the operational efficiency of the newly trained officers of the Edo Security Corps.
Maj. Gen. Esekhaigbe stated, “Today marks a significant milestone in the Edo State Security Corps recruitment drive as it marks the culmination of a two-week rigorous training conducted by the Nigerian Army to assist the Corps to be more effective and efficient in the performance of its duties. This training commenced on the 22nd of May, this year, with an intake of about 1,600 recruits drawn from 13 LGAs of the State, cutting across the three senatorial zones.
“It is important to mention here that recruits from the other five LGAs will be starting their training to be coordinated by the Nigerian Army at the Police Training School in Ogida on Monday. We have high expectations from the passing out recruits in assisting the State to checkmate the menace of security and criminal activities in the State. They will uphold the high values imparted to them during the training thereby contributing to the enhancement of security in the State”.
