Kogi State Security Adviser Commander Jerry Omodara said the state is leveraging satellite intelligence, local data and geographical information to strengthen security and prevent kidnapping, terrorism and other forms of insecurity.
Omodara said this on Thursday in Abuja during an interview with reporters. He spoke on the sidelines of the 10th retired Brig.-Gen. Michael Agu Annual Lecture, organised by the Nigerian Institution of Space Engineers (NISEng).
The lecture had the theme: “Reconnaissance Satellites and National Security: Applying Satellite Resources to Counter Multi-Dimensional Insurgency in Nigeria.”
Omodara said satellite technology was critical to security because it enabled authorities to collect, process and analyse data and translate the information into actionable intelligence.
He said the value of satellite data was not only in its collection but in connecting the information to realities on the ground to enable authorities to prevent security threats rather than merely react to them.
“Satellite intelligence is critical. You collect data, process it, analyse it and connect it to what is happening on the ground.
“The information collected must be translated into action so that you can prevent, rather than react to, whatever threat is emerging,” Omodara told reporters.
The security adviser said Kogi had leveraged its geographical location, topography and local intelligence, in collaboration with federal security agencies, to strengthen security across the state.
According to him, Kogi is now one of the safest states in the North-Central, adding that its strategic location at the centre of the country makes its security important to both the northern and southern parts of Nigeria.
“We are doing a lot in terms of preventing rather than reacting to insecurity. If you heard of one person kidnapped in Kogi, we may have prevented eight or 10 others.
“Kogi is strategically located between the North and South and serves as a buffer. So, the security of Kogi is also the security of the FCT and the South,” Omodara said.
He said the state had identified some of the underlying causes of insecurity, particularly illegal mining, and had intensified efforts to tackle the activities.
Omodara said no fewer than 14 persons had been arrested in connection with illegal mining in the last three weeks, while eight of them were currently facing trial.
He said the state’s vast landmass and forest corridors required effective monitoring and protection to prevent kidnappers and bandits from gaining access to communities.
According to him, security blockades have been established across the state, making it difficult for criminals to access communities and schools.
“We have been able to put measures in place to prevent kidnappers and bandits from accessing our communities and schools, and that is helping us,” he said.
The security adviser also said the state was adopting a non-kinetic approach to security by encouraging criminals willing to surrender to do so.
He said many of those involved in criminal activities were Nigerians, including persons from other states, and that the government was willing to engage those prepared to abandon crime.
“We want to ensure that they are brought to their knees and prevented from causing insecurity for people travelling on the highways and residents of our communities,” Omodara said.
He reaffirmed the Kogi government’s commitment to sustaining measures aimed at protecting residents and securing the state’s strategic position as a link between the northern and southern parts of the country.
