By Odey Otunu
When Major General Okoi Ubi Obono (Rtd) assumed office as the Senior State Security Adviser to Governor Bassey Otu in June 2023, Cross River State was grappling with a troubling legacy: rampant kidnappings, rising insecurity, and widespread fear across communities. Between January 2020 and September 2023 alone, at least 65 cases of kidnap for ransom were reported, with over 20 victims losing their lives, according to a report by Daniels Igoni of The Punch, citing data from the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND).
From the abduction of a University of Calabar Teaching Hospital medical doctor in July 2023 to the kidnapping of a professor from his residence and the harrowing attack on travellers along the Ikom-Ogoja Road, the report paints a chilling picture of a state under siege. In Calabar, satellite towns turned into soft targets for armed gangs who abducted clergymen, children, and ordinary citizens. Akpabuyo, Ikom, and Ogoja all became hotspots of these violent crimes.
But this tide of terror began to recede with the appointment of Major General Okoi Ubi Obono (Rtd) a battle-hardened officer with over three decades of military experience, and a commanding presence in both strategy and operations.
Commissioned into the Nigerian Army Artillery Corps in 1986, Major General Obono’s career was marked by excellence, rising to senior positions in his chosen career. These positions spanned Staff, instructional to Command. He commanded units in conflict zones in Liberia, Sierra Leone and the North East of Nigeria. He commanded the Artillery Corps, which prides itself as the Corps of Proud Professionals . As a Fellow of the National Defence College, he represents the highest echelon of military thought and strategic command. In transitioning from uniform to civil service, he has brought discipline, foresight, and tactical precision to bear on the complex security challenges facing Cross River State.
Sanitation Against Crime: A Full-Scale Offensive
Upon his appointment as the Senior State Security Adviser, Major General Obono (rtd)wasted no time initiating what insiders describe as a “full-scale security sanitation” across Cross River. He led the consolidation of intelligence gathering, revitalized synergy between security agencies, and reactivated dormant community policing frameworks. His approach to security was not only reactive but preventive focusing on dismantling criminal cells before they could execute their plans.
This swift, tactical reorientation has significantly curbed the wave of kidnappings that plagued the state. By the end of 2023, many of the hotspots previously known for insecurity were reportedly quieter, with major arrests, neutralization of threats, and dislodgement of gang bases taking place silently but effectively.
Operation Okwok
Operation Okwok a name thought out by the Senior State Security Adviser, was aimed at reinvigorating the already waning Operation Akpakwu and defining its modus operandi. The team is a strategic joint security initiative established by the Cross River State Government, it has become a cornerstone of the ongoing fight against violent crimes and insecurity in the state. Launched under the proactive leadership of Governor Bassey Edet Otu and executed under the meticulous monitoring of the Major General Obono (rtd), the operation has rapidly recorded significant successes across various hotspots in the state because of its purposeful leadership.
The operation brings together a coordinated force comprising personnel from the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Department of State Services, and local intelligence networks. It was borne out of the urgent need to curb rising threats such as kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery, inter-communal violence, and illegal arms circulation, which had undermined peace and development across Cross River State.
The success of Operation Okwok is a reflection of what is possible when experience, wisdom, and inter-agency collaboration are fused for the common good, this can be actualized when a seasoned professional is in charge of security policies in a place, which makes Major General Obono (rtd) the man to receive encomiums from all who have value for peace in a troubled world.
As the operation continues to evolve, the people of Cross River look to it not just as a response to crime, but as a sustainable path to peace and development in the state.
Recognition
In August 2024, Major General Obono (rtd) was honoured by the International Institute of Professional Security (IIPS) as the Best Security Conscious Adviser of the Year, a resounding validation of the impact of his methods. This recognition has clearly defined his transition from a respected military officer to an efficient public servant, steering Cross River away from the precipice of violence and instability.
The People’s General
Beyond titles and accolades, Major General Obono (rtd) is increasingly being seen as the people’s general, a strategic thinker who understands the terrain, the people, and the politics of safety. His approach blends tactical hard-power experience with soft intelligence collaboration, earning him the trust of traditional rulers, local government leaders, and the security establishments.
In a state that had once been written off as a growing flashpoint in the Niger Delta security grid, his leadership has helped restore not just order, but hope
A New Security Doctrine for Cross River
What Major General Obono (rtd) has brought to Cross River is not just a stopgap response, but a doctrine of proactive security governance one that identifies threats early, confronts them decisively, and mobilizes community resilience.
As insecurity becomes an increasingly complex national challenge, Cross River’s model, under Major General Obono’s watch offers a replicable blueprint for other states: one where strategic military wisdom, civilian oversight, and community cooperation combine to secure lives and livelihoods.
Cross River State is no longer defined by the statistics of terror it once endured. It is now characterized by a renewed sense of safety, decisiveness in governance, and visible action against criminality, all anchored by the sterling leadership of Major General Okoi Ubi Obono (rtd).
In the battle for peace, his is a name that history in Cross River will remember not just as a soldier, but as a guardian of the people.
Odey Otunu, 2025