States in the South-West have reportedly tightened security after reports of bandits fleeing military operations in Kwara were believed to be heading south.

However, the terrorists who killed dozens in Kwara in recent weeks are being tracked to prevent them from moving into South-West communities.

In September, Kwara witnessed a wave of deadly attacks. On September 29, at least 12 forest guards and a chief were killed in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun LGA.

Earlier, terrorists raided Maganiko Ndanangi, abducting a woman and her teenage daughter. Another raid in Oke-Ode left 15 vigilantes, a monarch and other villagers dead, with five residents abducted.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq visited the grieving communities and promised tighter security. “We have come to commiserate with the community over the attacks. Security forces, forest guards, and vigilantes fought back bravely,” he said.

The attacks also spread to Patigi and Lafiagi, where bandits killed a pregnant woman and kidnapped 18 villagers. Many residents have since fled to Ilorin and neighbouring towns for safety.

South-West Mounts Defence

Security operatives in Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo are now reinforcing their borders. Colonel Olayinka Olayanju (retd.), Oyo Amotekun Commander assured: “By the grace of God, the corps is well-prepared for any bandits’ attack.”

In Osun, police spokesperson Abiodun Ojelabi said seven tactical teams have been deployed to border towns. “Traditional rulers have been directed to alert security agents immediately they see suspicious movement,” he explained.

Ondo police said they increased manpower and checkpoints in forests and highways near Kwara. “Kwara may look far, but it is very close. We are deploying mobile police to stop inward movements,” PPRO Olayinka Ayanlade stated.

In Ekiti, the governor’s security adviser, Brig. Gen. Ebenezer Ogundana (retd.), said the state is part of a joint operation with Kwara, Oyo and Osun.

“We are blocking them here, Oyo will block them, Osun will block them too. This time, they won’t infiltrate the South-West,” he said.

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, condemned the killings and offered to work with Kwara’s governor. “Our leaders and followers should not take security for granted. Urgent steps must be taken to guarantee peace,” he urged.

He recalled the long history of cooperation between Yoruba and Fulani communities and stressed that traditional methods of mediation should not be abandoned.

Federal and Military Response

The Nigerian Air Force has launched airstrikes to back ground troops in Kwara. It has been reported that the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, is directly involved in coordinating counter-measures.

Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, warned that terrorism cannot be defeated by any one country alone.

“At the end of the day, the only thing we must do is to look for the bad guys and take them out,” he declared at the closing of Exercise Haske Biyu in Kaduna.

He called for greater cooperation between Nigeria and its neighbours across the Sahel, pointing out that armed groups exploit porous borders.

“If we hold on to our borders alone, we will continue to suffer. But if we unite and work across, it makes it better,” he said.

Kwara State is considered a buffer zone between the north and the South-West region, and has centuries of ethnic tensions between the majority ethnic groups of the state.

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