By Dayo Johnson, Akure

• 340 victims of robbery, kidnap operations, rescued last year

• 80 snatched vehicles recovered

The Western Nigeria Security Network(WNSN), codenamed Amotekun, weekend flagged off joint border patrol of the South West to checkmate criminal activities on highways ahead of the Christmas and New year festival.

Recall that similar operation took place last year and 340 victims of robbery and kidnap operations were rescued and 80 snatched vehicles were recovered.

Also, a number of kidnappers’ cells were dismantled, some kidnappers were arrested, and some illegal arms and weapons were recovered during last year’s operation.

The chairman of the Amotekun commanders in the South West and the Ondo state commander of the security outfit, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, who led the patrol, vowed that they would not leave “anything for chance, particularly when it has become the tradition of highway robbers to embark on massive and aggressive operations during the yuletide.

Adeleye, while inaugurating the patrol tagged “Operation Gba’le Gba’ko,” in collaboration with his Osun State counterpart, Brigadier General Aderounbi at the Owena border town, said that they were able to reduce to the barest minimum criminal activities during last year’s Yuletide.

According to him “Last year, when the Ondo State and the Osun State inter-border patrol commenced, we recorded very huge success. We were able to dismantle a number of kidnappers’ cells, we were able to arrest kidnappers, we were able to recover illegal arms and weapons, we were able to release kidnap victims, we were able to arrest kidnap suspects, we were able to arrest armed robbers.

” In preparation for this year’s holiday, we had redoubled our efforts at ensuring that commuters, residents, and visitors throughout this period can enjoy their holidays and they can sleep with their eyes closed.

“That is why we are commencing both the “Ember patrol and the inter-border patrol” activities of the Western Nigerian Security Network Agency.

“It is the collaboration of Ondo State and Osun State officers of the Western Nigerian Security Network Agency and at a later date, we’ll be collaborating with Ekiti, Osun, Ogun, Oyo with all the other agencies in the states in the Southwest to ensure that all major roads, all villages, all forests in the Southwest part of the country are properly protected.

“This operation is tagged: “Operation Gba’ko” which means we want to ensure sanity both at home and in the forest, on the road, on the sea, and everywhere within the Southwest part of this country.

“We are going to embark on 24 hours patrol, seven days of a week from now till after the Christmas and New year holidays.

The uniqueness of this “Operation Gba’le Gba’ko” is at the instance of the chairman of the Governor’s Forum of South West region, Rotimi Akeredolu, who has graciously given us an enabling environment for us to join hands with Osun State counterpart to ensure a free flow holiday without security bridges.

“This is also in collaboration with all the sister security agencies like the Police, the Army, the DSS, the Civil Defence, and of course, the populace.

“That was why we had to greet them when we came, we need their information and corporation, for all of us. Security is our business, when you see something, you say something and say it to the right quarters.”

The Osun state Amotekun commander, Brigadier General Aderounbi said: “I just want to advise the community to cooperate with us and make sure that this time around, we record another huge success to bring improved security to lives and property of people in the Southwest region.”

Residents in the border town interviewed, described the inter-border patrol as a welcome idea.

One of them, Samuel Adeboye, said that with the presence of Amotekun, we can now sleep well, and go to our farms, everyone is praising the present administration.

Adeboye said that “They should encourage the officers, give them whatever they need so that they can perform more than what they are doing now.”

He added that they were interested in collaborating with the Amotekun officers.

-Vanguard