Following the recent armed attack in Kwara State that claimed six lives at a motor park, state governments and security agencies across the South-West have intensified measures to avert similar incidents in the region.

The state governments and security agencies in the South-West, particularly the Security Network Agency (codenamed Amotekun Corps), said they have positioned operatives at strategic locations in the region, including border towns, to prevent the influx of rampaging bandits to the region.

This is coming after an unconfirmed number of people, including security officers, were killed in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State between Thursday and Friday during an invasion of the LG by gunmen suspected to be bandits.

Confirming security agencies’ readiness to Sunday Tribune, the Oyo State government reassured its commitment to adequate provision of security of lives and properties in the 33 Local Government Areas of the state as well as improvements on its security architecture.

Sunday Tribune noted that the state shares boundary with Kwara State to the north, with Ogbomoso and Orile-Igbon as boundary communities. In order to prevent bandit invasion, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, said the administration is working with all the security agencies to ensure that the state is well secured.

According to him, “The development in Kwara State is very troubling and should be tackled decisively. The good news for our people in Oyo State is that this administration has been very proactive in matters of security. Apart from active collaboration with law enforcement agencies, including but not limited to the Army, Air Force and the police, Amotekun in Oyo State remains the most fortified in the South-West. It has 181 vehicles and 450 motorcycles and over 2,500 staff, the largest in the South-West. The state executive council has also approved the procurement of two aircraft manned with surveillance modern equipment to assist Amotekun in its efforts to continue to protect our citizens from the menace of terrorists and illegal miners.”

Similarly, in Ekiti State, the state government disclosed that more security forces, including the Amotekun corps, have been deployed to border posts and communities following the upsurge of attacks in Kwara State.

The Special Adviser to the Ekiti State Governor on Security Matters, Brig-Gen Ebenezer Ogundana (retd), in a chat with Sunday Tribune, said the government was aware of the recent attacks in the neighbouring state of Kwara and would do everything possible to ward off criminal elements from Ekiti.

Ogundana said the state government has activated its security forces, especially at the border post, with the reinforcement of police, army, agro-marshall, Amotekun anti-grazing personnel in the state at the border towns with Kogi and Kwara States.

The governor’s aide noted that Governor Biodun Oyebanji has given the security agencies in the state the directives to secure the state against external attacks from the bandits who are wreaking havoc in Kwara State.

According to him, “We have arrangements with neighbouring states through the Special Advisers in Kwara, Kogi and Ondo States. But we are monitoring developments in Kwara State, initially it was Kogi but it is now happening in Kwara State. We have reinforced our border security system to prevent any influx of criminals from the state. We are not resting and we have been able to put those communities along the border line with Kwara on close monitoring. We have engaged our local government chairmen to monitor developments in the council areas bordering Kwara and Kogi States. I want to assure our people in Ekiti State that we are on top of the situation, and whichever directions they are coming from, our troops are deployed to take care of any eventuality. Our people should go about their normal businesses; the administration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji has put in place so many measures to ensure the security of lives and property in Ekiti State.”

In Ondo State, the State Security Network Agency (codenamed Amotekun Corps) said it has rolled out a series of proactive strategies focusing on border security, inter-agency collaboration, and community engagement.

According to the State Commander of the corps, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, Amotekun now conducts joint patrols with other security agencies to check the movement of suspected criminals and prevent infiltration by bandits.

He said the state government has also boosted the corps’ capacity through logistical support, enabling them to respond swiftly to threats, urging residents of the state to remain vigilant and avoid sharing sensitive information on social media that could compromise security operations.

Adeleye emphasised that Ondo State Amotekun remains on “red alert” to prevent incursions by bandits into the region, through intensified border patrols and grassroots intelligence efforts. He disclosed that the corps has managed to arrest over 300 suspects in approximately 15 locations across all 18 local government areas, saying most criminals were linked to serious crimes such as kidnapping, armed robbery, and housebreaking.

Adeleye said that in response to rising security concerns, no fewer than 1,200 Amotekun operatives have been deployed throughout the state to tighten security. He assured the public that, in collaboration with other security agencies, they have “mapped out a strategy to curb the influx of bandits” and that “there won’t be any hiding place for them in any part of the state.”

In the same vein, the Osun State Police Command, on Saturday, said that its men have always been positioned at the state’s borders to ensure the lives of people in the state are secured.

The Command Public Relations Officer, Mr Zachariah Ojelabi Abiodun, said, “Our men are up to the task and they have been performing creditably well there and they will not relent in doing more.” He assured citizens of the state of their safety and advised them to always alert the police whenever they notice strange people with questionable characters in their communities. The police spokesperson added that all efforts would be made by the police to secure the state and its boundaries. (Sunday Tribune)