
Kogi West Senator, Sunday Karimi, has said the synergy between the Department of State Services, DSS, and the Joint Task Force has been instrumental in the recent decimation of criminal networks operating in Kogi West.
Karimi commended the DSS for partnering the JTF and vigilantes to rid his senatorial district of kidnappers and criminal elements.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, the lawmaker said the rise in kidnappings was possibly politically motivated criminality to destabilize his zone.
But the lawmaker said the sustained operations are essential to “achieving lasting security,” stressing that the “effectiveness of vigilantes rest on actionable intelligence provided by the DSS”.
He commended the efforts of the National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu in “ensuring strategic synergy between the security organisations and local vigilantes nationwide”.
He also called for a legislation that would lead to the formation of forest guards as planned by President Bola Tinubu.
The senator also reiterated his call for continued cooperation among all security agencies, underscoring the need for a unified approach to safeguard Kogi West.
Karimi’s remarks align with recent statements from Kogi State’s security leadership, including Special Adviser on Security to the governor, Commodore Jerry Omodara (Rtd.), who has vowed to root out banditry and kidnapping from the state’s forests.
Omodara harped on strategic measures to fortify border security and enhance community-based vigilance, while urging residents to support local security efforts with timely intelligence.
His advocacy reflects growing public demand for decisive action, following reports of over 30 abductions in the district within a single week, a crisis he previously described as a “coordinated assault on peace”.
DSS, JTF synergy instrumental in decimating criminal networks in Kogi – Sen Karimi