Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, governor of Kwara
Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, governor of Kwara, has called for increased security deployments to the state following attacks in Oke Ode.
On Sunday, the Kwara police command confirmed the killing of 12 people, including a village head, during an attack in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun LGA of the state.
In a statement, Abdulrazaq said more military presence is needed to counter the activities of criminals in parts of Kwara south and Kwara north.
He said the attackers targeted forest guards and surrounding communities in the early hours of the day.
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The governor commiserated with families of the victims, including the guards who he said showed patriotism and love for their communities.
“My heartfelt condolences go to the families,” he 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.
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“Our people are understandably concerned about the situation, and I wholeheartedly share in this grief.”
Abdulrazaq said while the state appreciates the sacrifices of security forces, more still needs to be done to ensure safety.
He also urged residents to remain calm and not turn on one another.
The governor commended forest guards and local hunters for resisting the attackers, noting that five guards lost their lives while several of the assailants were neutralised.
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The army headquarters has directed the general officer commanding (GOC) 2 division of the Nigerian Army, Ibadan, to relocate to Kwara to coordinate and boost military response.
On Saturday, former Senate President Bukola Saraki said Kwara is in a “precarious state, overrun by bandits, kidnappers, and killers who have waged a ceaseless and careless onslaught on the people”.
The former governor said the state has never witnessed insecurity on the scale recorded under the present administration.
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