Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has urgently requested increased military deployment to the state to combat criminal elements, following a fatal attack on forest guards and residents in the Oke Ode area on Sunday.
The governor’s appeal came in a statement where he expressed profound sorrow over the loss of lives in the early morning incident, which targeted the positions of the state’s forest guards and surrounding areas.
AbdulRazaq stressed that more resources are needed to curb the activities of criminals operating across parts of Kwara South and Kwara North.
“My heartfelt condolences go to the families,” AbdulRazaq said.
“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.”
He acknowledged the public’s anxiety over the worsening security situation.
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“Our people are understandably concerned about the situation, and I wholeheartedly share in this grief,” he added, while commending the bravery of the local security forces.
The governor confirmed that while five forest guards lost their lives, they, along with local hunters, “equally neutralised several of the attackers.
“While praising the security forces for their sacrifices, AbdulRazaq insisted that significant further effort is required: “We definitely need to do a lot more until we are completely out of the wood.”
The governor appealed to residents to maintain calm and unity, urging them to “avoid the temptation to turn on ourselves.”
In response to the escalation, the Army Headquarters has taken swift action, directing the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 2 Division of the Nigerian Army in Ibadan to “immediately relocate to Kwara to further coordinate and boost military response to the development.”
