…Council calls for caution on security reporting, backs new safety measures in schools
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Friday chaired a security council meeting in Ilorin, where military commanders and top government officials reviewed ongoing operations aimed at containing organized kidnapping syndicates in parts of the state.
The meeting came days after the attack on Eruku in Ekiti Local Government. Briefing reporters after the session, Commissioner of Police Ojo Adekimi said the meeting received operational updates and intelligence reports from security agencies on efforts to locate the perpetrators and ensure the safe rescue of victims.
“We harvested insights from the security commanders on recent happenings and field intelligence in the aftermath of the Eruku incident,” Adekimi said. “The meeting also commended heightened security deployments, especially air interdictions which have dislodged the kidnappers from their former hideouts, particularly in Ifelodun. It calls for continuous air bombardment of areas identified as criminal bases.”
Adekimi confirmed fresh deployments to Kwara, including four tactical police units acting under the directive of President Bola Tinubu and Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun. He said these teams include the Intelligence Response Team, Special Tactical Squad, Special Intervention Squad, and Special Weapons and Tactics unit.
Security agencies also briefed the council on arrests linked to the kidnappers’ supply chain. “The Police and DSS reported several arrests of food and fuel suppliers linked to the criminals as well as a man from Makurdi who confessed to fixing weapons for the kidnappers,” he said.
The council praised the state government’s decision to activate safety protocols in selected schools across the southern part of the state. Adekimi said the measures may be adjusted as new intelligence emerges, especially in light of recent security developments elsewhere in the country.
The briefing noted that joint patrols will intensify across Kwara in the coming days, with special attention to sensitive and high-risk areas ahead of the festive season.
The council expressed concern about what it described as harmful social media conduct that undermines security operations. “The meeting observed the damaging impacts of social media in the country’s fight against violent non-state actors,” Adekimi told journalists. “For public safety, it calls for caution in the exercise of freedom of expression.”
Citizens were advised to avoid night farming and other late-hour activities that may expose them to danger. The council also urged the public to quickly report suspicious movements to security agencies or traditional authorities.
The meeting closed with a minute of silence in honour of the victims of the Eruku attack.
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