Ekiti Fortifies Borders Against Rising Kidnappings

With kidnappings, bandit attacks and killings increasingly spreading across parts of the Southwest, particularly in border communities of neighbouring states, Ekiti has intensified efforts to safeguard lives and property, writes ABIODUN NEJO

Despite sharing borders with states that have become hotspots for bandit attacks, kidnappings and other violent crimes, Ekiti State has remained relatively peaceful, with residents largely going about their daily activities without fear across its communities.

The state, however, has not been entirely immune to criminal incursions. Isolated attacks in some border communities have continued to keep the government and security agencies alert.

One of the most disturbing incidents occurred on April 28 when armed bandits invaded a Christ Apostolic Church in Eda Oniyo, Ilejemeje Local Government Area, a border community between Ekiti and Kwara states.

The assailants reportedly stormed an open-air crusade, shot the presiding pastor dead and abducted about 15 worshippers into a nearby forest.

More than three weeks after the attack, security agencies say efforts are still ongoing to secure the safe release of the victims, while their families and loved ones continue to await their return.

The Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Michael Falade, described the rescue operation as a sensitive security matter, saying details would be disclosed at the appropriate time.

Falade said the mandate of the inter-agency bush-combing team operating in the state was to flush out bandits and other criminal elements from border communities and prevent them from establishing footholds within Ekiti.

According to him, the team comprises personnel of the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Amotekun Corps, Department of State Services and local vigilante groups.

Speaking in Ado Ekiti at the commencement of the second phase of the ongoing bush-combing exercise, the police commissioner said the first phase had yielded positive results.

“We carried out extensive bush-combing operations in the affected areas and succeeded in pushing back bandits and kidnappers who were attempting to gain control of communities along the borders with Kwara and Kogi states,” he said.

“Following an assessment of the first phase, Governor Biodun Oyebanji approved the continuation of the operation to reassure residents that Ekiti remains safe and secure despite security challenges in neighbouring Kwara, Kogi and Ondo states.

“The objective is to enable our people to go about their lawful activities without fear,” Falade added.

Falade charged members of the inter-agency team to intensify operations aimed at denying criminal elements any foothold in the state.

According to him, the operation entails bush-combing and clearance exercises, visibility policing, and raids on identified criminal hideouts, particularly in border communities.

“This special operation is aimed at providing maximum protection for lives and property, preventing crime and apprehending offenders. It is also designed to prevent attacks on worship centres and farming communities, secure all entry points into the state, protect government infrastructure and forestall acts of vandalism, terrorism, cattle rustling and kidnapping,” the police commissioner said.

Offering further insight into the state’s security strategy, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, retired Brigadier General Ebenezer Ogundana, expressed optimism that the worshippers abducted at Eda Oniyo would be rescued unharmed.

According to him, security agencies in Ekiti and neighbouring Kwara State are working closely and deploying both intelligence and tactical measures to secure the victims’ release.

“On a daily basis, our troops and those in Kwara State collaborate and monitor developments. It is a delicate and technical operation. The lives of the kidnapped persons are very important to us, which is why we are proceeding carefully,” Ogundana said.

“We do not want to lose a single life. Through dialogue, intelligence gathering and strategic operations, we are working to secure their release and reunite them with their families. We are also collaborating with members of the affected communities,” he added.

While describing the Eda Oniyo incident and similar attacks in some border communities as isolated cases, Ogundana maintained that Ekiti remained one of the safest states in the region despite growing security concerns across the Southwest.

His position is reinforced by recent incidents in neighbouring states. In April, terrorists attacked a Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State, killing three worshippers and abducting 38 others, including a pastor. Similarly, a coordinated attack on schools and surrounding communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State in May, which left an assistant headmaster dead and several pupils, students and staff abducted, heightened fears that bandit groups were extending their operations into the Southwest.

Ekiti State Commissioner for Information, Taiwo Olatunbosun, however, insists that the state remains secure, including its schools, owing to a series of preventive measures put in place by the government.

According to him, Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s emergency approach to security has strengthened surveillance and enhanced collaboration among security stakeholders.

“We are not worried. Ekiti is safe and secure for everyone. The governor is deploying every available security apparatus and ensuring that security agencies work round the clock. I can tell you that our borders are under constant surveillance,” Olatunbosun said.

“We have consistently maintained that Ekiti is one of the safest states in the country because of the human and financial resources committed to supporting security agencies in the discharge of their duties.

“We are also intensifying public sensitisation because security is everyone’s responsibility. Residents must remain vigilant and provide information on suspicious persons and movements within their communities,” he added.

The commissioner said the administration had taken deliberate steps to prevent criminal elements from infiltrating the state through its borders.

“Governor Oyebanji declared an emergency on security long before the recent incidents in neighbouring states. We have strengthened security in our border communities and remain confident in the measures put in place.

“The governor regularly convenes meetings with security agencies and traditional rulers, who are working closely together to improve intelligence gathering and community surveillance,” he said.

Olatunbosun also highlighted the state’s Safe School Project, describing it as a critical component of efforts to protect pupils and educational institutions.

“Almost all schools in the state are fenced, while technology is being deployed to provide real-time information on activities within schools and their immediate environments,” he said.

As part of efforts to further strengthen confidence in school security, Falade recently commenced an operational tour of schools across the state.

During meetings with school administrators, the police commissioner reiterated the command’s commitment to ensuring the safety of schools through collaboration with the military, other security agencies and local security outfits.

He also charged officers deployed to schools to remain vigilant, professional and respectful of citizens’ rights while carrying out their responsibilities.

Falade urged parents, teachers, students and members of the public to remain security conscious and provide timely, credible information that could assist security agencies in preventing crime and responding swiftly to threats.

The police commissioner also urged parents, teachers, students and members of the public to remain vigilant and security conscious, stressing the need for timely and credible information that could assist security agencies in preventing crime and responding swiftly to threats.

Ogundana said the police commissioner and his team had already begun a security assessment tour of schools across the state, with particular attention on boarding schools and institutions located in isolated or vulnerable areas.

“We have identified boarding schools as well as schools located in isolated and porous areas so that we can develop strategies to protect the children and educational facilities more effectively,” he said.

He added that the government had also introduced new security guidelines for religious gatherings.

“We have directed that churches should no longer hold programmes deep into the night without adequate security arrangements. Organisers of such programmes must make provisions for the safety of participants,” he said.

The security adviser said the state government had continued to deploy regular forest-clearing operations as part of efforts to prevent bandits and kidnappers from infiltrating the state through its forests and border communities.

According to him, the operation involves a joint task force comprising personnel of the Army, Department of State Services, Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Amotekun Corps, Agro Marshal Corps, vigilante groups and local hunters.

Although Ekiti remains relatively peaceful, Ogundana said the government had deliberately adopted proactive measures to ensure that criminal elements fleeing security pressure in neighbouring states do not view the state as a safe haven.

“We established Operation Comb the Forests, which is still ongoing. Through the operation, we have been able to push back bandits and significantly reduce criminal activities along the Ilejemeje-Iyemero-Iye-Moba axis,” he said.

He added that the state government had continued to provide logistical and operational support to security agencies while leveraging the local knowledge of community-based security outfits.

“We have integrated Amotekun, Agro Marshals, Anti-Grazing personnel, Peace Corps members, local hunters and Agbekoya because they possess valuable knowledge of the local terrain and intelligence network.

“We have also involved traditional rulers, who play critical roles in community security, working closely with local government chairmen and security agencies. We have put the necessary structures in place and sensitised all stakeholders. What we need now is sustained cooperation,” he said.

Ogundana commended Governor Biodun Oyebanji for prioritising security and insulating it from partisan politics.

“We can assure residents that Ekiti remains safe. The governor is committed to sustaining the peace and stability the state has enjoyed over the years.

“We are not relenting in our efforts. We continue to sensitise residents because security is everyone’s responsibility. Citizens must report suspicious movements and unfamiliar faces in their communities,” he added.

With the June 20 governorship election approaching, the security adviser said authorities would intensify efforts to ensure a peaceful atmosphere before, during and after the poll.

“We must redouble our efforts, including intensifying bush-combing operations and strengthening intelligence gathering,” he said.

“We need information from the people. We are already working closely with traditional rulers, local government chairmen and community stakeholders. When people see something and say something, it makes our work much easier.

“Security agencies cannot win this battle alone. Government cannot do it alone either. We need the cooperation of farmers, herders, host communities and all stakeholders. Once that support is available, securing our communities becomes much easier.”

Also lending his voice to the conversation, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dayo Apata (SAN), called for a united front against terrorism, describing the threat as an existential challenge that requires lawful, intelligence-driven and community-based responses.

Represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Kunle Akinlabi, at a stakeholders’ engagement during the South-West Strategic Conference on Human Rights, Counter-Terrorism and Sustainable Development in Ado Ekiti, Apata urged citizens to reject violent extremism and work collectively to safeguard democratic values.

According to him, the South-West, with its strong Omoluabi ethos and tradition of civic responsibility, should champion a sophisticated, community-driven response to terrorism and insurgency.

“The terrorists’ objective is not merely to inflict casualties, but to undermine our liberties, provoke unlawful reprisals and create a wedge between the government and the people,” he said.

The senior advocate cautioned against counter-terrorism measures that violate the rule of law, warning that strategies built on extrajudicial killings, torture or arbitrary detention would ultimately undermine public trust and prove counterproductive.

He also advocated stronger collaboration between citizens, traditional rulers and local conflict-resolution structures as part of efforts to tackle terrorism and related security threats.

Governor reassures residents

Meanwhile, Governor Oyebanji has declared that Ekiti will be too hot for criminal elements, assuring residents that his administration will leave no stone unturned in protecting lives and property across the state.

According to a statement by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Yinka Oyebode, Oyebanji gave the assurance after a meeting with the Commander of the 12 Brigade, 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, Brigadier-General Kazeem Sidi, whose command covers Ekiti and Kogi states. The meeting was held at the Governor’s Office in Ado-Ekiti at the weekend.

The Governor said the government was fully prepared to stamp out criminal activities and sustain peace, law and order in every part of the state. He urged residents to remain calm and not give in to fear, stressing that his administration was working closely with security agencies around the clock to guarantee their safety.

Oyebanji also cautioned individuals against raising false alarms or spreading fake reports of attacks, describing such actions as mischievous and counterproductive.

Reaffirming that Ekiti remains one of the safest states in the country, the Governor said all necessary measures were being taken to preserve the prevailing peace. He added that his administration would spare no cost in securing residents and making the state uncomfortable for criminal elements.

The Governor expressed appreciation to the Federal Government and security agencies for their continued support in maintaining peace and protecting lives and property. He pledged sustained collaboration and support to ensure a safe and secure environment for all residents.

“This visit by the Brigadier-General is an opportunity to discuss security matters, and it demonstrates the Federal Government’s commitment to the safety of citizens,” Oyebanji said. “We have compared notes and agreed on further steps to ensure the security of everyone in the state.

“My message to Ekiti people is to remain calm. This government will leave no stone unturned in protecting citizens. It is also a strong signal to criminal elements that Ekiti will be too hot for them, especially as we approach the elections in three weeks.”