Kwara’s bloody battle: Bandit kingpin, soldiers killed, policeman kidnapped

Ilorin—Kwara State is successful the throes of escalating insecurity arsenic associated subject operations intensify against bandits, starring to the sidesplitting of a notorious kidnap kingpin, Maidawa, and respective of his ft soldiers.

Yet, contempt the breakthrough, the situation deepened yesterday with the abduction of a constabulary officer, portion an advocacy radical warned that the unit could spill into neighbouring states if not urgently contained.

The authorities government, successful a connection signed by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaiye, disclosed that Maidawa—who had terrorised communities crossed Kwara and adjoining Kogi State—was killed successful airstrikes by the Nigerian Air Force successful the forests astir Isanlu-Isin.

Intercepts by information services revealed that the bandit leader’s decease was confirmed by his associate, a wanted kidnapper identified arsenic Baccujo, during conversations with allies arsenic acold distant arsenic Katsina State.

Ajakaiye said the ongoing operations, triggered by past Sunday’s massacre successful Oke-Ode wherever astatine slightest 11 wood guards and villagers were killed, were aimed astatine dislodging criminals from strongholds successful Ifelodun, Ekiti, Isin, Edu and Patigi Local Government Areas.

“Security forces, spurred by urgent calls from the authorities government, person intensified their efforts to rout the kidnappers who often motorboat cowardly attacks connected civilian populations and abduct radical for ransom,” the connection read.

But successful a grim twist, equipped bandits yesterday abducted a constabulary officer, Ezra John, attached to the Lade Division successful Patigi Local Government.

He was seized on the Patigi–Lade roadworthy portion returning from work astatine Patigi General Hospital. The road has go notorious for predominant transgression attacks.

A elder serviceman confirmed the incident, saying efforts were underway to rescue him.
Police Commissioner Adekimi Ojo could not beryllium reached arsenic helium was accompanying the politician connected a condolence sojourn to Oke-Ode implicit the caller killings.

Amid the turmoil, a pro-democracy group, Kwara Must Change, KMC, warned that the situation indispensable not beryllium viewed successful isolation.

In a connection by its authorities coordinator, Seko Jibril Gure, the radical said the Oke-Ode massacre—which near 15 radical dead, including vigilantes and a Baale—should beryllium a wake-up telephone for the Federal Government.

It cautioned that the violence, if unchecked, could dispersed from Kwara into Osun, Ekiti, and Oyo States.

“The Kwara State Government has done each wrong its powerfulness to code this crisis, but information is yet a law work of the Federal Government,” the radical stressed. “Chasing bandits from 1 determination to different does not magnitude to success. Only a broad nationalist program tin destruct the threat, not piecemeal responses.”

KMC urged the Presidency to urgently deploy further troops, motorboat an intelligence-driven nationalist operation, and make a national involution programme to stabilise communities nether siege. “Unless decisive enactment is taken,” the radical warned, “terrorists volition entrench themselves successful Kwara and dispersed to the Southwest with devastating consequences.”

The station Kwara’s bloody battle: Bandit kingpin, soldiers killed, policeman kidnapped appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.