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By Prosper Olayiwola

States in the South-West have heightened security following the surge in attacks on communities and killings by suspected bandits and terrorists in neighbouring Kwara State.

Security chiefs in Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states confirmed to The PUNCH on Thursday that they had activated various containment plans to prevent the infiltration of their states by bandits fleeing the ongoing military operations in Kwara.

This came as the Federal Government uncovered the movement of the bandits heading for the South-West region from Kwara.

The PUNCH gathered that the bandits, who recently attacked several communities and killed many residents in Kwara State, are being tracked by intelligence agencies to ensure they don’t advance to Oyo and the other south-west states.

Sources said an intelligence report detailing the activities and movement of the bandits was receiving attention at the highest level of government.

It was gathered that a containment strategy had been activated to address the concerning development.

Kwara killings

In the past weeks, Kwara has experienced a surge in terrorist attacks, particularly on the north-south axis.

On September 29, 2025, suspected bandits killed at least 12 members of a local forest guard unit in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun Local Government Area. The attack resulted in four wounded individuals and the death of a traditional chief.

Six days earlier, on September 23, suspected terrorists launched a midnight raid on Maganiko Ndanangi community in Edu Local Government Area, abducting a woman and a teenage girl. This incident heightened tension in the area, with many residents fleeing their homes.

In another attack on Sunday, the terrorists killed 15 vigilantes, a traditional ruler and other residents, abducting five others in the Oke-Ode community. This plunged the community into grief, with thousands of residents fleeing for fear of renewed attacks.

The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, condemned the attack and called for increased military presence.

The hoodlums had also launched coordinated raids on several communities in Patigi and Lafiagi, killing a pregnant woman and abducting at least 18 residents. These attacks have forced many villagers to flee to Ilorin and other safer towns.

AbdulRazaq, on Thursday, visited Oke-Ode to commiserate with the bereaved families and assure them of improved security.

The governor, who was accompanied by heads of security agencies in the state, held a brief meeting with stakeholders from Oke-Ode and neighbouring Igbaja. Among those present were the National President of the Oke-Ode Development Association, Alhaji Abdulganiyu Ajala; Elder Oyin Zubair; and the youth leader of the community.

In a video obtained by The PUNCH, AbdulRazaq prayed for the repose of the souls of the dead, while commending security forces, forest guards, and vigilantes for repelling the attackers.

“We have come to commiserate with the community over the attacks. It is also commendable that the security forces, forest guards, and vigilantes for repelling them and restoring peace back to the community,” he said.

“It’s been quite challenging. Everything is being put in place to mitigate its effects and make sure we end such occurrences.”

The governor also extended condolences and solidarity to other communities attacked by bandits in Ifelodun, Irepodun, Isin, Ekiti, Edu, and Patigi local government areas in recent weeks.

AbdulRazaq was joined on the visit by the state Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo; the state Director of DSS; the Commandant of the NSCDC, Dr Umar Mohammed; his Senior Special Assistant on Security, Muyideen Aliyu; and the Chairman of Ifelodun Local Government, Femi Yusuf.

The governor had earlier issued a statement shortly after Sunday’s attack, where he admitted that “a lot more must be done to protect the people and their properties.”

In response to these attacks, the Nigerian Air Force scrambled fighter jets to support ground forces and provide Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance cover to aid troops in engaging the attackers.

Though the state government said it had been working to address the security challenges in the state, the situation remains dire, with many residents expressing frustration and fear over the recurring attacks.

Speaking on condition of anonymity on account of the sensitive nature of the matter, a senior official explained that top security officials, including the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, were working to stop the threat.

“I can’t disclose many details, but the intelligence available to the government indicates the mass movement of terrorists or bandits from Kwara to the south-west region following the ongoing military operations in the state.

“You are aware of the killings perpetrated by the terrorists in Kwara in the past weeks. I believe the relevant security agencies have been activated to cut off and eliminate the hoodlums,” the source explained.

Alaafin offers help

Speaking on the security measures taken to safeguard their territory, the Oyo State Commandant of the Amotekun Corps, Colonel Olayinka Olayanju (retd.), assured residents that the state was well-secured against any possible invasion by bandits.

Olayanju, who spoke with The PUNCH on Thursday, dismissed fears over possible spill-over of attacks from neighbouring Kwara.

Olayanju said, “What’s happening in Kwara State is not under my jurisdiction. It does not affect my area of responsibility. However, by the grace of God, the corps is well-prepared for any such bandits’ attack.”

Meanwhile, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, has offered to collaborate with the Kwara State Government in tackling the recent surge of bandit attacks in the state.

A statement by his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, on Thursday, said the monarch had reached out to Governor Abdulrazaq on how best he could assist in stemming the wave of attacks.

The governor, according to the statement, assured the Alaafin that a battalion of soldiers had been deployed in the areas under attack.

The Alaafin condemned the killings in Kwara and urged the Federal Government to ensure that all culprits are brought to justice as a deterrent to others.

“Our leaders and followers should not take the issue of security for granted, but ensure urgent and immediate steps are taken to respond to current threats by consciously building a system that guarantees peace and stability, conducive to national development,” he said.

The monarch highlighted the longstanding history of harmony between the Yoruba and Fulani in Oyo, recalling how the Oyo Empire had provided cattle ranches and land for herders in the past.

“Whenever there are skirmishes between farmers and herdsmen, the Royal Father would adopt his age-long conflict resolution mechanisms, which provide opportunity to interact with the parties concerned, promote consensus-building, social bridge reconstructions, and restore order in the Empire,” the statement added.

He praised security agencies for their resilience and called for continued peaceful coexistence among all ethnic groups in the country.

S’West border patrol

The spokesperson for Osun State Police Command, Abiodun Ojelabi, said the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotam, had deployed seven tactical teams to Osun communities bordering Kwara to prevent invasion by criminals.

He said, “The command is aware of what is happening in Kwara, and the CP has deployed seven tactical teams in this area, and the intelligence department is also sniffing around for information.

“The area commander has been directed to hold a stakeholders meeting with the traditional rulers to make sure that once they see anything suspicious, they should call the security operatives, and the security agency that is closest to them will respond immediately.”

On its part, the Ondo State Police Command said it was making efforts to prevent the influx of bandits into the state.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Olayinka Ayanlade, disclosed that the command had increased intelligence in the border communities across the 18 local government areas of the state.

Ayanlade said, “Our hands are on deck to prevent and control the situation. We are increasing manpower and intelligence gathering around those border communities.

“Of course, you can think Kwara is far from us in Ondo, but Kwara is very close. Kwara shares borders with Ekiti and Kogi. All these states border Ondo State, and we have enough space for bandits.

“So, we are deploying mobile police officers to all border communities to mount checkpoints on the roads and forests around those areas so that they can prevent any inward movements from all those states. Those are the things we have been doing.”

The Special Adviser on Security to the Governor of Ekiti State, Brig. Gen. Ebenezer Ogundana (retd.) revealed that necessary measures, including the deployment of security personnel to the boundary communities to prevent bandits from invading the state from Kwara State.

Ogundana, who said the military was doing a great job against the bandits in Kwara, noted the coordinated operation in Ekiti, Oyo and Osun states to prevent any incursion into the Southwest.

He stated, “We (Ekiti) are in contact with the military in Kwara State so that as they are doing the operation along the border there, we will block them (bandits) here, Oyo will block them, Osun will block them on their own side too. This time around, we don’t want them to infiltrate the South-West. It is a coordinated operation that is ongoing now.”

Speaking further, he added, “For now, we have put all the necessary measures in place. We anticipated it; we are sharing borders with Kogi and Kwara states, and with the way the military is carrying out operations in Kwara now, there is a tendency that they will want to escape from there.

“Thank God, we already have a full-fledged barracks here in Ekiti. The military, police and civil defence are moving towards the border now. We have just left the state security meeting. We combed a forest this (Thursday) morning, and then all the places we have identified that we can use, we are already moving our men towards such places.

“The General Officer Commanding, coordinating the operation in Kwara State, luckily, is having his own troops here too. So, as they are doing the operation in Kwara State, they are also doing the same thing along our borders, too.

“We expect that they (bandits) will want to run to a safe place, but Ekiti will not be a safe place for them. What we have is beyond patrol; we have physical deployment in all those areas along the border.”

“We have put all the necessary measures in place to prevent any spill-over. This time around, the military is doing a very good job in Kwara State,” Ogundana pointed out.

The Ekiti Amotekun Corps Commander, Brig. Gen. Olu Adewa (retd.), said his men were working with the joint security team and helping with intelligence gathering for the ongoing security operations.

Adewa, however, called on the residents, particularly those at the border communities, to always give information to the security agencies whenever they saw strange faces and movements.

He noted, “The residents need to support security agencies with information on strange faces and movements. They should not keep quiet. If they release information when they see something bad, action will be taken.”

CDS order

In a related development, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has admonished the security forces to identify and neutralise criminal elements threatening the peace in the country and across the wider Sahel region.

The CDS, who spoke as a guest of honour at the closing ceremony of Exercise Haske Biyu, a joint security training organised by the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, said removing those criminal elements is the only way for Nigeria and the Sahel to enjoy peace.

He warned that insurgency, terrorism and banditry remain serious threats not only to Nigeria but to the entire Sahel belt, stressing that armed groups exploit porous borders to operate freely across countries.

“At the end of the day, the only thing we must do is to look for the bad guys and take them out. That is the only way we can have peace,” the Defence Chief said.

Musa insisted that no single nation can contain the menace in isolation, urging regional cooperation as the surest path to stability.

“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 explained, citing the Multinational Joint Task Force operating in the Chad Basin as an example of how neighbouring countries can combine efforts to root out insurgents.

The Defence Chief also linked successful operations to robust community engagement.

He emphasised that without the cooperation of citizens, armed groups would continue to find shelter, saying “once communities deny these elements the ability to stay, they will not be able to stand.”

Musa urged Nigerians to see security as a collective responsibility, not just the duty of soldiers and police, adding that public support is indispensable for long-term peace.

He praised the media for its role in shaping public perception of military operations.

“When perception is wrong, anything you are doing will be perceived as being wrong. So, the media is critical,” he affirmed.

The CDS tasked participants of Exercise Haske Biyu to convert the training lessons into concrete results in their formations.

He said, “This training must not end here. It should be solution-driven. The relentless pursuit of criminals in cooperation with our neighbours, communities and the media is the surest route to lasting peace.”

Earlier, the Commandant of AFCSC, Air Vice Marshal Hassan Alhaji, said Haske Biyu 2025 was the largest exercise organised by the college in recent years.

He explained that the theme, ‘Family and National Security,’ was deliberately chosen to reconnect social cohesion with national defence.

“Security is not just about weapons and uniforms. When families collapse and communities disintegrate, criminal elements step in to exploit the vacuum,” the commandant said.

He urged the participants to translate the lessons learned during the exercise into community-focused action when they return to their various formations.