FG, Kwara Security Response Restored Calm in Babanla After Attack — Monarch
The traditional ruler of Babanla town in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Oba Aliyu Yusuf Arojojoye II, has said that coordinated security interventions by the state government and security agencies have helped restore relative calm in the community following a deadly bandit attack that left five persons dead and displaced residents.
The monarch, who spoke during an interview with Selected Defence Editors at his palace, said the 8 August attack by armed bandits led to killings, destruction of market activities, and large-scale looting, including the theft of motorcycles and goods worth millions of naira.
According to him, the swift intervention of security forces, including the Nigerian military, has since changed the security situation in the area, enabling displaced residents to gradually return to their homes.
He explained that the Kwara State Government, in collaboration with security agencies and the local government, strengthened security operations across the axis through multiple interventions.
These, he said, included the deployment of military personnel, the training and deployment of 211 forest guards by the state government, and the activation of local vigilante networks to patrol communities and forest corridors.
The monarch further noted that the state government supported local security architecture with logistics, including the distribution of motorcycles to enhance mobility across difficult terrain and forest routes frequently used by criminal elements.
He also disclosed that communication equipment such as walkie-talkies and surveillance cameras were introduced to improve coordination among security operatives and enable faster response to threats.
“These efforts have made a difference. People who fled are gradually returning to the community because of the presence of soldiers and other security operatives,” he said.
The traditional ruler, however, raised concerns over continued kidnappings along key rural roads linking Babanla to surrounding communities, including Oko-Ode, Oreke, Alabe, and Idera, noting that some victims were still in captivity while families had paid ransoms for others.
He appealed for sustained security presence and improved infrastructure, particularly road rehabilitation, which he said would enhance security operations in the area.
The monarch also highlighted the efforts of local youths, hunters, and vigilante groups who, according to him, have continued to clear bushes, patrol roads, and support formal security agencies in maintaining peace.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Ifelodun Local Government Area, Hon. Abdulrasheed Yusuf who also spoke on the broader security situation in the axis, said the government had intensified efforts to tackle insecurity through a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic measures.
He disclosed that the state and local government had distributed over 40 motorcycles to security formations, including the police, civil defence, and local vigilantes, while also increasing stipends and welfare support for operatives.
According to him, the state government’s training and deployment of 211 forest guards have significantly strengthened surveillance across the vast forested areas, which he described as “ungoverned spaces” exploited by criminal groups.
He added that coordinated patrols by the military, police, NSCDC, DSS, forest guards, and vigilantes had helped contain the spread of violence, even as operations continue in surrounding forest belts.
The council chairman further noted that while progress has been made, security operations remain ongoing and require sustained collaboration from all stakeholders.
He also acknowledged the support of Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, in providing logistical backing to security agencies operating in the area.
The monarch and local government chairman both called for continued vigilance, stronger infrastructure development, and sustained security presence to ensure long-term peace in the Babanla axis and surrounding communities