Kogi Rep Recruits ‘Fortified Hunters’ To Tackle Bandits

The lawmaker representing Yagba Federal Constituency of Kogi State in the House of Representatives, Leke Abejide, has called for stronger community-based efforts to tackle insecurity across the country.

Abejide said communities must be empowered to serve as the first line of defence against bandits and other criminal elements, especially in areas vulnerable to attacks.

Naija News reports that the federal lawmaker spoke on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, where he also threw his weight behind calls for the establishment of state police.

His comments came amid renewed cases of banditry and mass abductions in parts of the country, including recent attacks involving pupils, students and teachers in Oyo and Borno states.

Communities Must Defend Themselves – Abejide

Abejide said the current security challenges confronting the country required more than the efforts of the Federal Government alone.

He said elected representatives, traditional rulers and local communities must support government efforts by taking practical steps to protect their people.

The lawmaker referred to an earlier advice by the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), saying it inspired a security model he had introduced in his constituency.

“If you look at the advice from the DG of the DSS, I cannot forget it, and I have a model based on his advice. He said the communities should be the first line of defence,” Abejide said.

He explained that the model involved the recruitment and deployment of trained local hunters who understand the terrain and can monitor forests and border communities more effectively.

According to him, his federal constituency has 71 communities, and each of them is expected to have between seven and 10 trained hunters working as part of the local security arrangement.

“How can they be? One, if you are living in my constituency, for example, where I have 71 communities, each community will have not less than seven, or ten maximum, well-trained and fortified hunters who will be vigilant and always be on the ground 24/7,” he said.

Abejide said he began the security initiative in December 2025 after noticing the movement of bandits into communities in his constituency, especially areas sharing borders with Niger State.

He said the development prompted him to convene a meeting with traditional rulers to discuss a local response to the threat.

“I started this model in my federal constituency last year. We started in December 2025 when we noticed that bandits were coming into the communities, especially communities that border Niger State,” he said.

“They were coming in from there. When I noticed this, I organised all the traditional rulers, about 103 of them, and I briefed them. I said this is my intention: we have to form a squad, a minimum of a 55-man squad. I appealed to the state governor, and we also asked for a licence from the NSCDC for them.”

Abejide said the request was approved and the local security team was licensed and equipped to operate.

“So it was approved, and they have the arms and ammunition,” he added.

The lawmaker said the hunters were not waiting for bandits to attack communities before responding, but had adopted a proactive approach by going into the forests to search for criminal elements.

He said the personnel were motivated because they were paid and supported to carry out their duties.

“What they do once they wake up, like this morning, they do not sleep, they have a way of operating. They are not waiting for these bandits to come out. Once they sleep and wake up, they go inside the forest to hunt for them, not them hunting for us,” he said.

“We look for them every day, and they are paid, so they are motivated and really working. That is how I was able to counter this issue. Though they are not enough now, I’ve recruited an additional 45, making 100.”

Abejide said the model had helped reduce the threat of banditry in his area and should be considered by other communities facing similar security challenges.

‘Government Alone Cannot Do It’

The lawmaker urged other elected officials to support security efforts in their constituencies instead of leaving the responsibility entirely to the government.

He said insecurity could only be contained when communities, leaders and security agencies work together.

“This is the way to go for every community in this country. If we say only the government should face this challenge, we are just joking; it will not go anywhere for now,” Abejide said.

“We need to come out, those of us who are elected representatives of the people, and put our own effort to join that of the government, and the result will come out, just like I’m having results in my area now.”