In order to help combat the area’s security issues, the Edo State Government approved on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, the construction of a forward operating military base at Ehor, the administrative centre of the Uhunmwode Local Government Area.
Following the weekly State Executive Council Meeting, the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Andrew Emwanta, made the announcement on behalf of the Governor. He explained that the decision to construct this facility was based on a previous meeting the State Governor had with the leadership of the Nigerian Army, during which it was decided that a military base was necessary to reduce the problem of insecurity in the Benin-Auchi axis and surrounding areas.
The facility’s construction will cost 648.2 million naira according to the proposed contract sum.
According to Wikipedia, “a forward operating base (FOB) is any secured forward military position, commonly a military base that is used to support tactical operations.
“A FOB may or may not contain an airfield, hospital, or other facilities. The base may be used for an extended period of time. FOBs are traditionally supported by Main Operating Bases that are required to provide backup support to them.
“A FOB also improves reaction time to local areas as opposed to having all troops on the main operating base.
“In its most basic form, a FOB consists of a ring of barbed wire around a position with a fortified entry control point, or ECP. More advanced FOBs include an assembly of earthen dams, concrete barriers, gates, watchtowers, bunkers and other force protection infrastructure.”
Reports on crime have identified the Benin-Auchi Highway, a federal route that connects to the country’s north, as one of the hotspots for kidnappings and other crimes.
The army, police, State Security Service, and other security agencies that make up the Edo State security architecture have frequently rescued victims from kidnapper hideouts in Ehor and nearby communities.
Many people have been hurt and many have lost their lives as a result of the kidnappers and armed robbers who attack commuters and sporadically shoot at cars in an effort to stop the drivers so that they can carry out their heinous crimes.
The kidnappers force the victims to call their loved ones and demand a sizable sum of money as ransom.
It has truly been a nightmare story for people, families, and the government.
Recall that on June 16, 2021, a protest by irate youths against the activities of kidnappers and armed robbers in the axis left hundreds of commuters stranded on the Benin-Auchi Highway.
The demonstration followed the shooting death of Miss Ella Williams, an architecture graduate from Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, who was allegedly killed by presumed kidnappers while travelling to school along the Benin-Auchi highway.
The deceased was reportedly on her way to Ekpoma to pick up her call-up letter—a document used to organise Corps members for the one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC)—when gunmen opened fire on the car she was riding in, killing her instantly while kidnapping the other passengers.
Francis Okhomina, an Ehor villager, described the ordeal commuters went through while being held captive in the hands of kidnappers.
He said: “Everywhere is blocked. There is no way to pass here since 6am. These Fulani men have been kidnapping people and taking them into the bush. Our people have become scared.
“Two days ago, they shot five people there. Two died and three survived, and they are in the hospital. So our people became angry, and they took over the road. The road users have to go and pass through Ughoneki going to Auchi.”
“The police have tried, the vigilantes have been trying but it seems like these people have better arms; so they cannot do as much as we expect”, he added.
The military, an institution that has proven unparalleled capacity in tackling terrorism, kidnappings, and other crimes, will use the facility to help the military, an institution that has demonstrated unmatched capacity in doing so, send the criminal elements out of that part of the State. However, with Governor Obaseki’s determination to mount a forward operating military base in Ehor, the security outlook in the State is positive.
In particular, the military base will provide the ample space needed to strategize with other security agencies, reducing the response rate to distress calls significantly while also strengthening inter-agency cooperation.
According to experts, no economy can flourish in an environment of fear and chaos. This monumental move will draw more investors to that region of the State because the military presence will give the rural communities, which produce a significant portion of the food consumed in the State, a sense of security.
There is no reason to worry about attacks in the upcoming days and months for travellers who use the Benin-Auchi Road to access the northern part of Nigeria.
Governor Obaseki should be commended for assuming the Federal Government’s responsibility and using state resources to defend citizens from criminals.