Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has renewed calls for stronger military presence in the state following the deadly bandit attack on Oke-Ode community, Ifelodun Local Government Area, which left at least 15 people dead.
The victims, mostly vigilantes and local hunters, were killed in the early hours of Sunday when armed attackers stormed forest guard posts and surrounding settlements. Several villagers were also abducted, forcing families to flee their homes.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, the governor described the killings as a huge setback despite the state’s recent investments in security, including the recruitment and training of forest guards.
“My heartfelt condolences go to the families. No word can adequately capture the depth of my sadness and nothing can compensate the bereaved families over these incidents, in spite of our efforts and the investments in enlisting and training the forest guards to bolster the conventional forces,” AbdulRazaq said.
The governor praised the sacrifice of those who resisted the assailants and urged residents not to resort to reprisal violence.
“Finally, I urge our brave residents to remain calm and avoid the temptation to turn on ourselves. I equally commend all the forest guards and the local hunters who, though lost five of their compatriots, equally neutralised several of the attackers. We will forever be grateful to all of them as our heroes,” he added.
AbdulRazaq also stressed the need for urgent reinforcements from security agencies, particularly in Kwara South and North, to stem rising cases of banditry.
“While we appreciate the efforts and unquantifiable sacrifices of the security forces as well as the successes so far, we definitely need to do a lot more until we are completely out of the wood,” he noted.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has ordered the General Officer Commanding, 2 Division, Ibadan, to immediately relocate to Kwara to coordinate military response and strengthen operations in the affected areas.
