Security: Kwara deploys Army, forest guards in two LGAs

Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State has briefed key stakeholders in the Lafiagi axis of the Kwara North Senatorial District on the government’s efforts to rid the area of criminal gangs responsible for recent violent crimes.

The meeting, held in Ilorin, the state capital, was attended by the leadership of the Lafiagi Descendants’ Development Union (LADDU), headed by Dr Abdullahi Jibril Mohammed Lafiagi.

The governor acknowledged the concerns of the communities and reassured them of a coordinated, government-led, multi-stakeholder response to the situation.

The briefing came as the Nigerian Army concluded arrangements to launch sustained operations in forests identified as strongholds of criminal gangs in Kwara North and South Senatorial Districts.

According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, the operations will involve newly trained forest guards deployed to remote areas.

“These operations will rout the criminals from their hideouts and restore lasting calm in the affected areas, while care will be taken to prevent the violent elements from relocating elsewhere. The government has been working with the Office of the National Security Adviser to eliminate these threats in parts of the state, especially in identified settlements in Ifelodun, Edu, and Patigi,” the statement said on Sunday morning.

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“No one can dismiss the concerns of our community members. However, it is important to note that sensitive security issues require careful and realistic analysis, planning, and execution for sustainable success,” it added.