Jare Olukotun & Mariam Akinloye
About 20 officers of the Onyabo Vigilante Group of Nigeria (OVGN) have been elevated to various ranks within the organization at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held recently. The group also called for effective collaboration to effectively tackle crimes.
At the AGM held at the Ikorodu Central Mosque Eid Praying Ground, Oke-Ota Ona, Opposite Waterworks, the General Commander of the security outfit, Akogun Olabinjo Olanrewaju, introduced the officers to members and presented them with their identity cards.
The meeting was themed, ‘Nigeria’s Security: A Shared Responsibility’.
The elevated officers were Com. Pelumi Olamilekan, Deputy General Commander Administration, Mr Pedro Kazeem, Deputy Commander Finance; Mr Adeyelu Gabriel Adesina, Deputy General Commander Logistics; Mr Folarin Olotu Rahmon, Assistant General Commander Administration; Mr Onabajo Adebayo Rasaki, Deputy General Commander Welfare; Mr Jimoh Rafiu Adebayo, Deputy General Commander Operation; Mr Enijesikun Yusuf Damilola, Assistant General Commander Operation; Ogunleye Hakeem Adebola, Assistant General Commander Logistics; Mr Ogunsanya Kayode Olarewaju, Zonal Commander Mowonla, Ogunjobi Hammed Olayiwola, Zonal Commander Igbo-Oluwo and Mr Bombata Saliu Ania, Zonal Commander Etunrenren among others.
Speaking with THE IMPACT at the AGM, Akogun Olabinjo explained reasons for the elevation of the officers.
“If there is an organization, there must be an organogram, more so, we have recently registered with CAC (Corporate Affairs Commission), and we are now called Onyabo Vigilante Group of Nigeria. So, we need to evaluate some of our officers from the zone to the central command, and that is what we are doing today. For instance, Adeyelu was a Zonal Commander in Ikorodu, and he has been elevated to the position of a Deputy General Commander of Logistics, and also Elele to Deputy Commander General Operation and so many others too.
“We elevate them so that other ones too can have their positions in the local government and the state level. We elevated about eighteen officers”, Akogun Olabinjo said that
While examining the state of security in Ikorodu, the Onyabo General Commanding Officer called for collaboration among security units tackling crimes.
“We need to partner with other security outfits to ensure that crime is effectively tackled in Nigeria and not only in Ikorodu or Lagos State. Once we can do this, acts of indiscipline and crimes will become something of the past.
“We cannot eradicate crime completely, but we can reduce it to the barest minimum, and make the community free and conducive for everyone.
“As you can see, it is obvious that crime has reduced. If you look around Ikorodu and how it was last year and year before, you will see that the crime rate has reduced to a minimum, and we are still working. Our men are still on the ground. To achieve this, we have been collaborating with the Nigeria Police Force and Army. We are hopeful that Ikorodu will be a place for everyone to live in”.
Akogun Olabinjo also charged rank and file of the Onyabo, to be disciplined and law abiding.
“While I was addressing them, I charged members to be law abiding. We don’t intervene in domestic issues, we only advise or take them to the station or appropriate quarters.
“I always charged our members that we must first sensitise ourselves before sensitising the community. If your son is a cultist, you have not sensitised yourself, if you engage in beating your wife, as someone that is a security personnel, you are not law-abiding, and there is now way that you can secure the community.
“I always charged them to be friendly to everybody, and that they should avoid bribes, because that will affect them negatively. Our goal is primarily to secure lives and properties of residents”.
Comrade Pelumi Olalekan, popularly called “Rado”, Deputy General Commander Administration, said that the AGM of the group, which has been in existence for over 20 years, was the first after its registration with the CAC officers, unveiled plans of the group towards rebranding.
“After the CAC registration, this is the first general meeting we are having. The uniform of Onyabo will be changed, the identification number too will be changed. A lot of things need to be changed due to restructuring and our new identity”.
He said that the local security group with about 1000 members, will continue safeguarding the lives and properties of residents in Ikorodu.
He charged residents to be security conscious and cooperate with local security and conventional ones, to make Ikorodu safer.
“We cannot eradicate crime, but we can reduce it. I want to assure Ikorodu people that crime will be drastically reduced, because all we are doing is to assist the Nigerian police, and other security agencies from the state and federal governments. We are working together with them.
“I charge our people to be security conscious and call our attention to any suspicion or strange movement or things. We need information from you, and no information is useless. It is important that you give us information in good time to be able to nip whatever crime that is being planned”, he pleaded.
Also speaking with our reporter, Jimoh Rafiu Adebayo, Deputy General Commander Operation, also assured Ikorodu residents of total commitment of Onyabo to their safety.
