The Nigerian Army has deployed a full brigade with heavy military equipment across parts of Kwara South and Kwara North, following President Bola Tinubu’s directive to flush out bandits operating from forests in the state.
In a related development, the Ekiti State Police Command has intensified security across major entry and exit points after recent bandit attacks in neighbouring Kwara and Kogi states. With Ekiti sharing borders with both, the command said the move was preventive to forestall infiltration by criminals.
A statement from the Chief Press Secretary to the Kwara Governor, Rafiu Ajakaiye, said troops had commenced operations around Oke-Ode and Babanla in Ifelodun Local Council, extending to Edu and Patigi to comb forested areas used by kidnappers for launching attacks and holding victims.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who earlier met President Tinubu over the security crisis, thanked the Federal Government for its swift intervention. He said the operation, under Operation Fasan Yanma (OPFY), aims to restore peace and stability in Kwara’s troubled regions.
Meanwhile, Ekiti Police spokesperson SP Sunday Abutu confirmed that a joint security operation involving the police, Amotekun Corps, and other sister agencies had been activated. He said deployments covered all strategic locations, assuring residents that the exercise was preventive and meant to strengthen public safety.
Abutu added that Commissioner of Police Joseph Eribo had instructed personnel to act professionally and urged residents to cooperate and report suspicious movements. He dismissed social media claims about external operatives, clarifying that all deployed officers were local and the operation was internally coordinated.
At the national level, the Senate has summoned the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Abubakar; Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Olufemi Oluyede; and Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, over rising insecurity in Kwara South.
The legislative action followed a series of violent attacks, including an ambush that killed 12 vigilantes and the Baale of Ogba-Ayo community in Oke-Ode. Lawmakers also called for a permanent military base in Ifelodun to counter persistent kidnappings and banditry.
Deputy Senate Leader Lola Ashiru (Kwara South), who sponsored the motion, described the situation as alarming, revealing that at least 142 people had been kidnapped and 70 killed in the past year. He said more than 25 communities have been deserted, with schools closed and local economies devastated.
