Ondo has lowest kidnapping rate in South-West, Aiyedatiwa’s aide claims
By Boye Oyeyemi
The Senior Special Assistant to Ondo State Governor on Security Matters, Olugbenga Atiba, has said the state currently records the lowest rate of kidnapping and violent attacks in the South-West, attributing the development to the security initiatives of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Speaking in an interview, Atiba said security records indicated that although isolated kidnapping incidents had occurred in the state, Ondo had not experienced any case of mass abduction.
He credited the achievement to the governor’s sustained support for security agencies through funding, logistics and regular engagement with the police, the Department of State Services, the Nigerian Army and the Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun.
According to him, Aiyedatiwa receives daily security briefings and closely monitors developments across the state to ensure prompt response to emerging threats.
“The Ondo State Police Command has deployed drones for surveillance operations, while the government has also provided funds to rehabilitate abandoned Armoured Personnel Carriers to strengthen security operations,” Atiba said.
He added that the government was expanding the Amotekun Corps and intensifying security operations in forests and other criminal hideouts, while plans were underway to establish command-and-control centres to improve intelligence gathering and emergency response.
Atiba further stated that investigations into some kidnapping incidents had revealed the involvement of insiders and local collaborators, adding that the state government was working with the military and other security agencies to establish additional security bases in vulnerable communities while prioritising technology-driven strategies to combat crime.
