Kwara strengthens security with new military campaign, forest guards

The Nigerian Army is set to launch a sustained military campaign codenamed Operation Fortress in forested areas across Kwara North and parts of the South Senatorial District, following increasing threats posed by criminal gangs operating in the region.

According to a statement released on Sunday by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Rafiu Ajakaye, the operation will be jointly carried out by the military and newly trained forest guards to flush out violent elements from their hideouts and restore lasting peace.

The statement emphasised that the initiative is the result of ongoing collaboration between the Kwara State Government and the Office of the National Security Adviser to address growing security concerns in isolated settlements, particularly in Ifelodun, Edu, and Patigi Local Government Areas.

“These operations will rout the criminals from their hideouts and restore lasting calm in the affected areas, while care would be taken to prevent the violent elements from hibernating elsewhere,” the statement partly read.

While acknowledging the genuine concerns of residents, the government stressed that “sensitive security issues require careful and realistic analysis of the situation, planning, and execution of strategies for sustainable success.”

In a related development, Abdulrazaq has briefed key stakeholders from the Lafiagi axis of Kwara North on the government’s coordinated response to the escalating insecurity in the region.

The meeting, which took place in Ilorin, was attended by the leadership of the Lafiagi Descendants’ Development Union, led by Dr. Abdullahi Jibril Mohammed Lafiagi. The governor reassured participants of the government’s commitment to addressing the crisis through a multi-stakeholder approach.

Meanwhile, credible sources revealed that a combined team of soldiers and local vigilantes was ambushed last Thursday while returning from a clearance operation in Lata Nna, Edu Local Government, after raiding suspected bandit camps and attempting to rescue kidnapped victims.

Though the exact casualty figure remains unclear, some vigilantes were reportedly killed or declared missing in the ambush. A follow-up operation conducted on Saturday reportedly led to the recovery of several bodies.

The planned launch of Operation Fortress underscores the urgency with which authorities are responding to the deteriorating security situation in parts of Kwara State.