29/10/2025
GOVERNOR AGBU KEFAS: CHAMPION OF PEACE AND SECURITY IN TARABA STATE, THE AWARD "SECURITY MAN OF THE YEAR" IS WELL DESERVED.
By Chini Godwill Isaac
Development without peace is a beautiful dream trapped in chains; and that is why His Excellency, Dr. Agbu Kefas, made security the foundation of governance from his first day in office. In less than two years, he has transformed Taraba State from a theatre of security concerns into one of the most stable and peaceful states in Nigeria. His leadership has proven that security is not achieved by force alone but through strategy, inclusiveness, and visionary leadership.
When Governor Kefas assumed office, Taraba faced serious security challenges ranging from communal clashes and farmer-herder conflicts to banditry and kidnapping on major highways. Many communities lived in fear, farmlands were abandoned, and commerce struggled. But instead of lamenting the crisis he inherited, he moved swiftly with deliberate policies and a strong will to secure Taraba for development.
He introduced a multi-layered security architecture that strengthened collaboration among the Nigerian Army, Police, DSS, Civil Defence, and local vigilante networks. He revived local intelligence gathering by engaging traditional rulers, youth leaders, and community watch structures to provide credible intelligence for crime prevention. Through strong synergy, Taraba transitioned from a reactive model of security to a proactive system driven by surveillance and rapid response.
The Governor in his strategic military intelligence also banned illegal mining across the state to cut off criminal groups who were using mining sites as hideouts and funding sources. The decision aims to improve security, protect communities, and prevent environmental damages in the state.
Governor Kefas also invested heavily in security infrastructure. He renovated police outposts and military checkpoints across flashpoint areas, established forward operating bases in crisis-prone communities, and provided operational vehicles, motorcycles, communication gadgets, and drones to improve surveillance. These interventions boosted the morale and effectiveness of security forces across the state.
Realizing that lasting peace cannot be achieved by weapons alone, Governor Kefas embraced dialogue and reconciliation as tools of unity. His Peace and Reconciliation Initiative brought together rival communities across Takum, Wukari, Karim-Lamido, Lau, Bali, Gassol, and Ussa to settle decades-old grievances through mediation and mutual understanding. These peace efforts restored trust, revived markets, reopened roads, and enabled thousands of displaced families to return home.
Under his watch, Taraba also recorded a sharp reduction in kidnapping and banditry along major routes such as Jalingo–Wukari, Bali–Takum, and Serti–Gembu highways. Through coordinated operations, several criminal hideouts were dismantled, hostages were rescued, and many criminal kingpins were neutralized or arrested. The once troubled areas of southern and central Taraba now enjoy relative calm.
Understanding that insecurity thrives where there is poverty and idleness, Governor Kefas tackled the root causes of crime through youth empowerment. He created the Taraba State Youth Development Agency to provide skills, jobs, and mentorship to young people. Thousands of youths have been engaged in agriculture, ICT, entrepreneurship, and vocational trades, reducing crime and strengthening community stability.
In agriculture, he introduced a farmer-herder peace framework that promotes dialogue, designated grazing corridors, and local peace committees to prevent clashes. This initiative secured farmlands, boosted food production, and strengthened rural economies.
Today, Taraba State has emerged as one of the most peaceful states in Northern Nigeria. Businesses now operate with confidence, schools run without fear, rural roads are safer, investors are returning, and communities are embracing unity over division. Governor Agbu Kefas has shown that security is not just an agenda;it is a responsibility to humanity.
For restoring stability, protecting lives, fostering peace, empowering communities, and building a secure pathway for development, Dr. Agbu Kefas truly deserves to be honoured as the Security Man of the Year. His leadership is a model of courage, vision, and commitment to public safety.
28th Oct. 2025
Chini Godwill Isaac.
Source: ATV NEWS
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