Being a Paper Presented to Ekiti Diaspora Town-Hall Engagement on Security and Intelligence by ADETUNBERU, Oludotun. (PhD), Director General, Ekiti State Homeland Intelligence Agency on Sunday. 21th April, 2024.

Introduction
Homeland Intelligence Agency was established on 25th October, 2023 by His Excellency, Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji with a vision towards “building a robust intelligence capacity in protect Ekiti State from internal and external threats” and with a mission ” to achieve an improved internal security framework through dependable information gathering system, strategic vigilance and community collaboration that seeks to protect and preserve the safety, well-being, and prosperity of all residents in Ekiti State.
Homeland Intelligence Agency advance evidence for information collection, processing, analysis, dissemination and feedback from policy-makers to identify and mitigate threats to Ekiti State.
Therefore, the major focus of Ekiti State Homeland Intelligence Agency is to provide the Chief Security Officer of Ekiti State Government (Mr. Governor) with in-depth intelligence needed to keep the Homeland safe and secured in order to drastically reduce security risks of her citizens, focuses on the highest harm risks to the homeland, whether from terrorists, non- state actors, or cyber, financial, political and or economic criminals.

From the above the mission and the vision of the Agency expressly established the Nexus between Ekiti State Homeland Intelligence Agency and Ekiti Security Architecture at a glance.

Hagen-Zanker, Gagnon & Murray (2024). Noted, that Governments around the Globe are increasingly conscious of the importance of diaspora networks to boost and foster sustainable development, primarily in their countries of origin.

Hagen-Zanker, Gagnon & Murray (2024). Claimed further, that “in 2018, the Global Compact on Migration established the creation of conditions that allow diaspora networks to contribute to sustainable development through the transfer of skills, social capital and financial resources as a key objective”. And diaspora engagement is increasingly prioritized in national development strategies, with many impressive initiatives under way. In lieu of this, security of motherland fosters the impact of Diaspora contributions toward the development of their native communities and as such, intelligence sits on the core of sustained security in the State.

Security Threat in Nigeria
Considering the level of Security threats either in the past, present or in the future; it is important to have basic knowledge of the Security threat battling Nigeria as a State.
Nigeria is 15th most vulnerable in 2023 fragile states index.

According to SBM intelligence tracking, 2,371 Nigerians were killed in the 1st quarter of 2024 with 123 of them being security agents (Punch 19th April)
Nigeria has encountered high level of insecurity in some parts of the country in recent years as a result of terrorism, inter-communal conflicts, criminal banditry, kidnapping, among other challenges. It is not an understatement to say that Nigeria is under siege of violence and insecurity.
The issues of insecurity are multifaceted and multidimensional; The reality of the problem is that security has remained on the exclusive, not concurrent or residual list. Therefore, the chain of commands is centralized by various security agencies.
The heightened and spate of insecurity in Nigeria, and the southwest as a region in particular where kidnappings, herder-farmer conflicts, organized crimes such as armed robberies, ritual killings, cybercrimes, commercial motorcyclists unethical conduct among others have been occurring at alarming rates, there is need for urgent action to mitigate the spate of crimes highlighted above in the most decisive and effective way.

Ekiti State being one of the most peaceful Sates in Nigeria witnessed surge in organized crimes.
It could be recalled that on 13th December, 2023, armed assailants descended on the office of Western Nigeria Security Network code named Amotekun in Ikere Ekiti and killed two officers of Amotekun, a strategy adopted to instill fear and destabilize the existing security architecture before invading two new generation banks with explosives and sporadic shooting in quick succession without any security challenge.
On Monday, 29th January, 2024, armed bandits ambushed three traditional rulers at a spot in Oke-Ako/Irele road of Ikole-Ekiti, shot two Traditional leaders dead while the third monarch managed to escape from the armed marauders. On the same day, three teachers and five pupils of Apostolic Faith School, Emure Ekiti were also kidnapped by gunmen suspected to be criminal herders; the two unfortunate incidents occurred concurrently while State Security Council meeting was ongoing with His Excellency, Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji.

It is pertinent to note that the two murdered monarchs were respectively in charge of security council within their domains, the late Kabiyesi HRM, Oba (Dr) Olutunji Samuel Olusola the Olumojo of Imojo-Ekiti was the traditional ruler in charge of the Security Committee of Oye Local Government, while the late Elesun, HRM, Oba Ogunsakin Babatunde David, the Kabiyesi of Esun-Ekiti was also the Vice Chairman, Security Committee of Ikole Local Government coupled with HRM, Oba Sunday Adebayo Fatoba, the Alara of Ara in Ikole Ekiti who escaped the deadly attack seats as the Chairman Security Committee of Ikole Local Government.

A day after, while Ekiti people were still mourning the gruesome murder of these Royal Fathers, the armed assailants went to Koro, in Kwara State, a border town to Iyemero town in Ekiti State and assassinate the Olukoro of Koro, HRM Oba Segun Aremu-Cole, abducted his wife and escaped from the town. On the 6th of February, the Elepe of Ohi-Ogidi in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Chief Ojo Olayinka, was equally murdered by yet-to-be-identified gunmen. It is no coincidence that the Kabiyesi, Olukoro of Ikoro was as well the Chairman Security Committee of Ekiti Local Government in Kwara State. The scheme of killings exposed possible targets of security combat monarchs in Yoruba land by armed assailants to send strong signals and create extreme degree of fear in the axis.
It is within our knowledge that over a decade, the North-East region has been engulfed with unending act of terrorism enveloped in severe humanitarian crises and displacement of indigenes as a result of Boko Haram insurgency vis-à-vis Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP).

Due to the unrelenting engagement by the Nigeria military, the armed assailants migrated to the North Central region but with the current military bombardment, it is predictive that south-West region may likely feel more heat because the criminals will be sorting for safe haven with limited military operation. The proximity of Ekiti State, Ondo State with North Central region rendered it as passage route to the southwest.

For instance, Osan, Otun, Erinmope, Aye Oja, Eda Oniyo, Isan, Ilemeso, Iyemero, Irele are all Ekiti Towns that shared border with Kwara State i.e, Ekanmeje, Imoji, ilale, Obo- Ajegunle, Koro, Obeile, Eruku, Ponyan, etc. Most of these border towns are in the rural areas with enormous forest reserves, farm settlements and limited security personnel, rendering most of the towns porous.
This is equally applicable to Kogi State with bordered towns of Omuo-Oke, Ilasa, Ipao, Odo Ayedun, Irele all adjoining Iyamoye, Alu, Igbagun, Igbo-ele, Jege, Ogbe in Kogi State. In the same vein, Ondo State bordered Igbara, Ikere, Emure Ahan Omuo, Iro Ayeteju but on Ibuji, Iju, Supare Akoko, Oke-Agbe, and Irun Akoko respectively.
Above towns are contagious red zones where criminal herders migrating from the north are settled to perpetrate their nefarious activities.

EMANATING THREAT
Kogi State has a very big uninhabited landmass and shared border with many States such as Benue, Enugu, Niger, Nasarawa, Kwara, Ekiti, Edo, Ondo States and FCT. Reasonable number of bandits domiciled in the region, therefore the possibility of easy access to Southwest Nigeria through Kogi State is very high.
Pls bear in mind that river Niger took its source from Guinea highlands, flows through Mail, Niger and terminate in Nigeria. The river is a big access for arms transportation. The possibility of proliferation of light weapon and arms transportation through small vessels vary the river is very high therefore, providing an habitat for criminals as it has been reported that they have many criminal cells in their forests.

Need I remind you, that river Niger took its source from Guinea highlands, flows through Mail, Niger and terminate in Nigeria; the river is an open access for arms transportation. The possibility of proliferation of light weapons and arms transportation through small vessels ferrying the river is very high; therefore, providing channel for criminals as it has been reported that they have many criminal cells in their forests.

However, His Excellency, Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji has approved our interactions with neighboring States to discuss with the Local Government Chairmen from the adjourning States to come up with suitable modalities on how we can safeguard our territories through joint border patrol, intelligence synergy, joint forest combing exercise and other areas of community policing and collaboration. To further achieve this, His Excellency, Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji established Ekiti State Forest guard with a directive to collaborate with Security Agencies in flushing out kidnappers and other criminal elements in the state.

Flowing from the above, it is pertinent to mention that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently gave Nigeria Armed Forces express order to crush bandits and other elements terrorizing Nigeria.

It is important to equally commend other conventional security agencies for their efforts thus far, particularly, the Nigeria Police Force Ekiti State Command, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, as well as western security network (Amotekun) in Ekiti State, the Vigilante Groups, local Hunters’ Association, Peace Corps and other various security networks emplaced by all the Local Government Chairmen in Ekiti State to safeguard their domains.
2. Justice System as agent of security threat.

Nigeria is faced with an unprecedented wave of different but overlapping security crises from kidnapping to extremist insurgencies; with rigor and tireless effort in arresting notorious criminals for prosecution, many of these criminals are either freed or given light jail terms which in return discourages the security agencies while these elements mostly return to the criminal world. Our justice system is in need of reforms as the hope of the common man; political pardon through Attorney General across the country also contributes to the already tensed society, while most victims of these crimes are sometimes scared of coming up as witnesses to many cases of rapes and kidnapping.

04. COMBATING CRIMINALITY
Detection and mapping of areas where all or some of these crimes are concentrated, otherwise known as crime hotspots, are very important in the context of technique/approach usually adopted.
For instance, the law enforcement agencies usually carry out geographical analysis with a view to establishing crime hotspots through the use of crime pin maps of reported crime events over a given period. Prior to recent advances in geospatial technology, law enforcement agencies typically placed coloured pushpins in wall maps to visualize individual crime events and examine the spatial distribution of crime locations. There is a paradigm shift away from this popular approach to crime hotspots detection. The advent of geospatial techniques and its applications to crime control and management has provided greater opportunities for not only mapping of crime but also allowing the analysis of hotspots over a period of time and shift in the location of hotspots over time.
I wish to inform my audience that Homeland Intelligence Agency is currently reviewing all the crime spots across 16 Local Governments and 19 Local Council Development Areas as approved by His Excellency, Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji for effective forest combing and patrol.

It is vital to use this good opportunity to inform this gathering of Mr. Governor’s proactiveness to issues of insecurity which is highly commendable, we secured the release of all the six School pupils kidnapped by non-indigene armed assailants and their Teachers, three in numbers and within a week, arrested criminals involved in the killings of our high revered monarchs as they have been charged to court as required by law.

Ekiti State Government is currently addressing the issues of Herders /Farmers clashes and farm destructions, all the Directors of farm settlements, Director of afforestation, managers of farm- settlements in Ekiti State held meetings recently as directed by Mr. Governor and concrete plans are already in place to further checkmate the criminal activities of the non-indigene settlers on our farm settlement, while the anti-grazing law is in enforcement as directed by Special Adviser on Security Matters.

It should be noted that Ekiti State has ten forest reserves and five big farm settlements apart from the land border, all these reserve forests and farm settlements are linked up to neighboring States, for Instance, little Ose forest, Eporo forest, Ise forest, Ikere forest, are reserved forests linked to Ondo State, and Edo State. Ogotun forest and Egbe are linked to Owena in Osun State and Irun Akoko in Ondo State respectively. Also, the Gede farm settlements located in Ayede spanning to Ilemeso, Itaji, Omu, Itapaji, Ipao to Iyemero farm settlements linked up to Kogi and Kwara States. We also have Osin, Orin farm settlements.

Ekiti State Government has made efforts to further beef up the security network around our primary and secondary schools against invasion by the armed assailants especially in contagious border towns in Ekiti State.
I may not be able to disclose other strategies deployed in the open for security reasons but I can assure you that, His Excellency, Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji is not only in charge but fully on top of the game and at the moment Ekiti State has regained her status as one of the most peaceful State in Nigeria. The rate of kidnapping and other associated crimes has reduced drastically and to the barest minimum level.

Evil that befalls once neighbors create a signal to be prepared for eventuality; the already defeated kidnapping incidents in Ekiti may likely resurface if proactive security strategies are not sustained in the face of unnecessary influx of unfamiliar herdsmen roaming our forest and farms with impunity. However, there is need for dynamic security structure to face of the impending menace as our forest may also stand as safe haven to armed miscreants and like minds ascribable to sense absent of security personnel in the domain.

05. SECURITY WELFARE AND DEPLOYMENT
Ladies and gentlemen, at this juncture, we need to access and assess the Nigeria Police Force. I shared the view of the current Inspector General of Police when he noted that Nigeria is under policed.
I regret to say this but it remains my personal position, It is very unfair that past leaders in Nigeria have under equipped the Nigeria Police Force, instead of strengthening the capacity of the Police, they ended up balkanizing it and today we are all bearing the consequences of our actions.

Nigeria currently is estimated to be 250 million whereas, Nigeria’s current police strength is barely over 370,000 personnel which is insufficient based on a ratio of one police officer to about 600 citizens whereas, the UN-recommended ratio is one police officer to almost 450 citizens.
To meet up with the benchmark, Egbetokun said the Federal Government needs to increase the annual recruitment quota of police personnel from 10,000 to 20,000 and currently the Nigeria Police Service Commission is just conducting the 2022 recruitment exercise in the month of April 2024.

“The Nigerian Police requires an additional 190,000 personnel to be at par with the United Nations recommendation,” he said.
As Egypt with population of about 108 million has Police Force of about 1 million, the addition of Nigeria Military and Nigeria Police is not even up to a million put together with many ungoverned spaces according to Senator Ali Ndume.

Currently, we are clamoring for State Policing when we don’t have the capability and capacity to fund and maintain the existing structure; unfortunately, Nigeria Military is overstretched and overwhelmed due to political office holders. For a long period of time, the Nigeria Army has taken over the duty of the Nigeria Police Force with limited focus on protecting the territorial integrity of Nigeria State against external aggression and internal subversion.

The constitution has created conflict of duties among the security agencies, such as Nigeria Police Force, (NPF), Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Road Safety, Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), with overlapping schedule of duties and conflicting interests.

Lastly.
Ekiti State is the smallest State by area in south-west and as such, should maintain and enjoy adequate security; secure her borders and motivate farmers cultivate her fertile land without apprehension of attacks by criminal herdsmen roaming the forest. With the challenges discussed above, security of our dear state is a collective responsibility of both residents and Diasporas; Diasporas should as a matter of urgency assists in funding both State and Federal security agencies in the state. Just recently, Ekiti State Government acquired 30 Hilux vehicles for security surveillance and patrol. We also have responsibility to collaborate with government in crime prevention as been done in Lagos State, where stakeholders, industries and diaspora gives support through Security Trust Fund.

It has been established that southwest region retained the most peaceful region in Nigeria as at today among the six geopolitical regions in Nigeria.
Ekiti Diaspora are known assets to their host countries, on that template can influence and bring forth development of tech-security to their homeland; we must not wait until Ekiti State becomes death trap to citizens and dwellers alike.

The limited fund accrued to the State coupled with handful internally generated revenue may deprive the State of needed high standard modern security equipment such as: drones, technical Intelligence apparatus and other surveillance cameras systems to effectively policing of our unique state. With huge diaspora base, I solidly believe your financial and material assistance will seal the vacuum.

The IKOGOSI warm spring is not just a pride to Ekiti State but Nigeria at large, with huge resources spent in remodeling the spring; adequate and assured security will certainly, transform it to world tourists’ friendly location which in turn, help improve IGR of Ekiti State.
Security as the base of development, Homeland intelligence Agency is at the forefront of permanently sniffing out criminal elements from our State; securing the boundaries and ensuring lasting peace across board.