By Atoyebi Nike
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has pledged that bandits and kidnappers will find no refuge in the state, following Sunday’s bloody ambush on Oke-Ode community in Ifelodun Local Government Area.
Gunmen had attacked local vigilantes and a traditional leader in the area, leaving several people dead and residents in fear.
In a statement on Wednesday, AbdulRazaq said he had briefed President Bola Tinubu on the worsening insecurity and renewed calls for stronger federal deployment to border communities. He disclosed that the Army had relocated the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 2nd Division to Ilorin to oversee intensified operations.
“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,” the governor said.
He added that the State Security Council met in Ilorin to integrate state and federal assets into a unified strategy for Kwara North and South.
AbdulRazaq assured residents that his administration would continue to provide logistics and support for security agencies, stressing: “Kwara will not be a hiding place for criminals. You may run, but you cannot escape justice. Kwara belongs to its people, and their peace will be defended.”
The latest killings in Oke-Ode have intensified concerns over rising insecurity in Kwara, with residents demanding tougher measures to safeguard vulnerable border communities.
