States across Nigeria’s South-West have stepped up security operations following the wave of deadly bandit and terrorist attacks that have swept through Kwara State in recent weeks. The move comes amid fears that fleeing armed groups could attempt to infiltrate neighbouring territories.
Border Defence Activated
Security chiefs in Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo confirmed on Thursday that various containment measures have been launched to ensure the safety of border communities. This followed intelligence reports revealing that armed groups escaping ongoing military offensives in Kwara were plotting routes into the South-West.
okay.ng reports that intelligence documents currently under review at the federal level detail movements of the bandits, some of whom carried out brutal raids across Kwara that left dozens dead, villages deserted, and traditional leaders slain.
Kwara Under Siege
Kwara has witnessed repeated attacks on communities in Ifelodun, Edu, Patigi, and Lafiagi. On September 29, 12 members of a local forest guard unit were killed in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun Local Government Area. The same attack claimed the life of a traditional chief and left four others wounded.
Just days earlier, armed terrorists invaded Maganiko Ndanangi in Edu Local Government, abducting a woman and a teenage girl during a midnight raid.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq condemned the onslaught and visited Oke-Ode with senior security officials, promising that “everything is being put in place to mitigate its effects and make sure we end such occurrences.”
Southwest Response
Oyo Amotekun: Retired Colonel Olayinka Olayanju, head of the Oyo State Amotekun Corps, assured residents that the state “is well-prepared for any such bandits’ attack.”
Osun Police: Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Gotam deployed seven tactical teams to border communities.
Ondo Police: PRO Olayinka Ayanlade confirmed increased intelligence and mobile police deployment across 18 local governments.
Ekiti Security: Brig. Gen. Ebenezer Ogundana (retd.) said, “We don’t want them to infiltrate the South-West. It is a coordinated operation that is ongoing now.”
Royal Intervention
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, has offered support to Kwara, reminding the nation of historical peace between Yoruba and Fulani. He urged leaders to take “urgent and immediate steps to respond to current threats by consciously building a system that guarantees peace.”
Federal and Military Response
The Nigerian Air Force deployed fighter jets to support ground troops, while Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa insisted: “At the end of the day, the only thing we must do is to look for the bad guys and take them out.”
