A private security organization, Gallery Security Service, has engaged more than 1,000 youths across Ondo State to strengthen surveillance and curb criminal activities along waterways and coastal communities. The initiative, announced during the company’s 13th anniversary celebration in Agadagba Obon, Ese Odo Local Government Area, is part of its broader strategy to expand employment opportunities while boosting security in vulnerable riverine zones.
General Manager of the firm, Anthony Onyeisue, said the recruitment drive was designed to address rising insecurity in coastal corridors while reducing youth unemployment, which he described as a major driver of crime. “Youth unemployment remains a major challenge everywhere in the country, and to address this, we have employed over 1,000 personnel, providing jobs and keeping young people away from criminal activities,” he said.
Onyeisue explained that although the company does not possess prosecutorial powers or military-grade equipment, it works closely with security agencies, including the police and the military, to support operations. He noted that Gallery Security Service relies on simple surveillance tools such as mobile phones and walkie-talkies, enhanced by the backup of conventional security units. “We are restricted from using equipment such as drones, but our partnership with the military allows us to draw on their capabilities,” he added.
The GM said the outfit has supported the arrest of several criminals, who were subsequently handed over to the police. While the company does not keep official arrest records, he confirmed that many of the offenders identified by the team are now in correctional centers, including Olokuta.
Onyeisue stated that Gallery Security Service operates under the regulations of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), which guides its community-policing model. Beyond Ondo State, the company maintains operations in Lagos, Akure, Benin, and other parts of the country. “We have an agreement with Ondo State Government to manage its waterways, which serve as a gateway to the Niger Delta and Lagos,” he said, adding that the firm is working toward building a security brand with national and global reach.
The initiative reinforces the organization’s ongoing efforts to combine youth empowerment with enhanced security infrastructure, offering economic opportunity while contributing to safer coastal communities.
