Diri Wins Another Award, Sets Trap For Criminal Minded Elements in Yenagoa

Criminal minded elements in Bayelsa State will no longer have it easy, especially in Yenagoa, as the governor, Senator Douye Diri, has initiated moves to install new closed-circuit cameras and maintain existing ones in parts of the state capital.

While 200 new cameras are to be installed in strategic places in Yenagoa, 50 others are to be revamped to monitor activities in the state, in line with the government’s safe city programme.

Diri disclosed this during a 3-day Security Watch Africa Initiative’s-organised conference which ended on Thursday night in Doha, Qatar.

The keynote address of the Bayelsa governor, who is on annual leave, was presented by the state’s Security Coordinator and Coordinator of the Bayelsa Community Safety Corps, Brig-Gen. Eric Angaye (rtd).

The governor stressed that his administration’s investment in physical, social and digital infrastructure was crucial for promoting peace and security in the state and added underscored the importance of implementing digital solutions to crime prevention and economic opportunities.

“In line with our commitment to making Bayelsa State inhospitable to criminal elements, we remodeled, upscaled, and relaunched the special joint security task force known as Operation Doo-Akpo, and subsequently signed the Bayelsa State Community Safety Corps Bill into law on December 14, 2021.

“This law streamlined the operations of the Operation Doo-Akpo along with the special outfits – Bayelsa Volunteers and Bayelsa Vigilante – under one umbrella. The Community Safety Corps was designed to support and collaborate with the statutory security agencies in efforts to rid the state of criminal elements.”

He said at the moment, Bayelsa is ranked as perhaps the safest state in Nigeria. At a dinner event on Thursday, Diri was honoured as the Best Security Conscious Governor alongside his colleagues from Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Katsina, Mallam Dikko Radda.

Other awardees included the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, Inspector-General of Police of The Gambia, Seedy Touray, and his Ghana counterpart, Dr. George Dampare among others.

The immediate past Chief of Army Staff, late Lt-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, was post-humorously honoured as the Most Outstanding Army Chief in National Defence in Africa in 2023/2024.

Receiving the award on behalf of the Bayelsa governor, Angaye expressed appreciation to the Chief Executive Officer of Security Watch Africa Initiatives, Mr. Patrick Agbambu, and the organisation for recognising the modest efforts of the state government in ensuring safety, peace and security in Bayelsa.