Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has vowed to flush out bandits and kidnappers from the state, declaring that those behind the recent deadly attack on Oke-Ode community in Ifelodun Local Government Area will not escape justice.
Naijaonpoint reports that gunmen had on Sunday ambushed local vigilantes and a traditional leader in the area, leaving several people dead and throwing residents into fear.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, the governor said he had already briefed President Bola Tinubu on the attack and renewed his call for additional federal deployment to secure Kwara’s border communities.
He revealed that the Army Headquarters had relocated the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 2nd Division to Ilorin as part of intensified military operations in the state.
AbdulRazaq disclosed that combined forces of the Army, DSS, and Police launched a major offensive on Monday night around Baba Sango, along the Kwara-Kogi border.
“On Monday night, combined forces of the Army, DSS and Police launched an offensive around Baba Sango, along the Kwara–Kogi border, neutralising about 15 armed bandits. The same operation continued on Tuesday,” he said.
The governor added that he presided over a State Security Council meeting on Tuesday night at the Government House, Ilorin, where federal and state security assets were integrated into a single strategy for operations across Kwara North and South.
AbdulRazaq assured residents that his administration would continue to provide logistics and support to security agencies in order to protect lives and property.
“I have assurances from the security forces to smoke out and eliminate the criminals from their hideouts. We will fight insecurity with every resource at our disposal. Kwara will not be a hiding place for criminals,” he said.
The governor warned criminal gangs operating within the state’s borders: “To any criminal who seeks to destabilise the peace in Kwara, you may run, but you cannot escape justice. Kwara belongs to its people, and their peace will be defended.”
Naijaonpoint reports that the Oke-Ode killings have sparked fresh fears among residents and calls for tougher security measures, especially in border communities where bandits are believed to be staging operations.
The government’s assurance comes as stakeholders continue to demand lasting solutions to insecurity in the state.
© 2025 Naijaonpoint, a division of NOP Media Inc. Contact us via [email protected]