By Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – Taraba State Governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, has disclosed that his administration is prioritising proactive measures to tackle insecurity in the state, rather than waiting to respond after damage has already been done.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Digital Communication, Hon. Emmanuel Bello, made this known on Saturday during an exclusive interview with The Sun correspondent in Jalingo.
Bello said the Kefas administration inherited a dire security situation in which residents could neither sleep peacefully nor engage in farming activities due to persistent threats of kidnapping and violence.
According to him, the state was grappling with one of its worst security crises in recent history, with daily cases of kidnapping, even within the state capital.
“People could not go to their farms because they were afraid of being kidnapped or killed by bandits. In one tragic instance, the family of a traditional ruler was abducted, and his wife and children were killed. That shows how bad the situation was,” Bello said.
He added that the state was also faced with widespread ethnic clashes across several fronts, prompting the administration to make security its top priority upon assumption of office.
“The first task was to stabilise the situation. Security agencies were quickly mobilised, adequately motivated, and deployed using both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies to contain the immediate threats,” he explained.
Bello said that after achieving relative stability, the government moved to preventive measures aimed at stopping a recurrence of the crisis. These included the establishment of an anti-kidnapping task force and the banning of mining activities that were fuelling insecurity.
He noted that the government has consistently provided logistics support to security agencies, including operational vehicles and motorcycles, while also strengthening the state-owned security outfit, the Taraba Marshals.
“We have equipped them with vehicles and motorcycles, provided a befitting operational headquarters, and ensured prompt payment of salaries to boost morale and effectiveness,” he said.
Bello disclosed that the administration has also adopted other strategic measures which, for security reasons, could not be made public. He added that continuous engagement with stakeholders across the state has helped in resolving grievances without resorting to violence.
While acknowledging lingering challenges, particularly in Karim Lamido Local Government Area, Bello said the area has been designated as an Area of Particular Security Concern, with targeted efforts underway to restore full normalcy.
He called on residents of the state to support Governor Kefas and his policies, stressing that collective cooperation is essential to safeguarding lives and property across Taraba State.
