Sir: After the #EndSARS protests in October 2020, which resulted in the escape of over 2,000 inmates from prisons across Nigeria, Edo State experienced a sharp increase in criminal activities, including rape, armed robbery, burglary, and theft. This surge was exacerbated by pre-existing crimes in the state such as land grabbing, cultism and the now-outlawed activities of Community Development Associations (CDAs), perpetrated by non-state actors known as ‘Lions and Tigers,’ who are sponsored by politicians and used as political thugs during elections.
Amid the setback, the federal government security agencies, who were already strained, became even more handicapped and were unable to effectively manage the escalating crime and criminality in the state. This led the state government, in collaboration with the security agencies to rethink the security architecture in the state, leading to the establishment of the…
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