Insecurity: Delta Hawk, Waste Of Government Funds – Rights Activist

By Odima Favour

A human rights activist in Delta State, Comrade Efemena Umukoro, has stated that the Delta Hawk security outfit is a waste of government fund and should be scrapped.

Comrade Umukoro, who is also a member representing the National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, in the State Community Policing Committee, SCPC, Delta State Command, said this in an exclusive interview with Oasis Magazine.

Comr. Umukoro recalled that he was among principal stakeholders and agitators who pressured the State Government to ensure that Delta Hawk was established.

Recall that in December 11, 2020, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa inaugurated Delta Hawks, with its sole purpose being to fight criminal herdsmen, curtail their illicit activities and deal with criminal actovities.

According to him, has since the establishment of Delta Hawks, kidnapping and all its likes, have rapidly grown worse in the state, saying that farmers, students of several institutions are being kidnapped and harassed on a regular basis.

He lamented that his claim that Delta Hawk would help in reducing the high rate of kidnapping in the sttate tuned out to be untrue.

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In his words, “it seems that the hawk is now afraid of the hen. Instead of the hawk to go after the hen, the hawk has decided to go after lizards in the streets.”

Comr Umukoro who said that he has observed that instead of Delta Hawk to fight against the Fulani herdsmen who perpetrate menace in our towns and villages, Delta Hawk has derailed from their main duty and go about harassing youths and extorting money from them, and harassing transporters.

Speaking on the recent kidnap case in Abraka, Umukoro said that a total sum of 1.5 million naira was paid as ransom before the kidnappers released their victims.

Commending the efforts of the vigilantes and anti-cult group, who were promptly supervised by the police, Comr Umukoro has advised that the State government should encourage the anti-cult and vigilante security outfits by giving them adequate funding.

“The money that was used in establishing Delta Hawk would have been given to the Delta State Police Command to boost the Rapid Respond Squad, the RRS, to boost the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, to boost anti-cult,vigilantes, and even police stations.
If Delta Hawk were to be present in Abraka, Delta State,with their Hilux, when such cases of kidnapping took place, they quickly would have rushed to the scene and assist the host police. But Delta Hawk was nowhere to be found. The only time you see them is when extorting Delta State youths. It is now as if the aim of establishing Delta Hawk has failed. We should go back to the conventional police structure in Delta State.”

Comr Umukoro also called on Governor Okowa to be reminded that he is still the governor of Delta State, and that the responsibility of protecting lives and properties still lies in his hands.

“The Okowa led government has failed us in terms of security. The Governor has left the security of Delta State in the hands of kidnappers. I am appealing to the governor to do something so that our mothers, our fathers and farmers can go to farms in their villages freely without fear of being kidnapped, raped or harassed. The Governor should should provide adequate security for our mothers, if not,we will be tempted to protect them ourselves because we have the capacity to do this,” he said.

Speaking on how the masses should assist the security outfits in the State, Comr Umukoro said, “I also want to call on members of the public to give useful information to the Nigerian Police, who are especially in the students’ environment. Because without information, the Nigerian Police will not be able to work. Information is key in guiding ourselves. We should also learn to be our brother’s keeper. When an attack is going on with the next man, be able to reach out to the security agents to see how you can assist, because if you say it doesn’t concern you today, tomorrow might be your turn.”

Emphasizing the need to the public to help the police with useful information, he noted that it was the timely information given to the police in Abraka that made it possible for them to foil a kidnap operation in Oria.

“The police got to the scene on time and repelled the kidnappers because they were informed on Tim,” he added.