Fresh Security Push in Kwara as AbdulRazaq Meets Service Chiefs

• Council cautions against reckless social media posts
• Hails new school-safety measures
• Food, fuel suppliers, weapons fixer to kidnappers arrested

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Friday chaired a high-level Security Council meeting where military commanders, police chiefs and other top officials reviewed ongoing operations aimed at curbing the rising threats posed by organised kidnapping networks across the state.

The meeting followed Tuesday’s attack on Eruku community in Ekiti Local Government Area.

Briefing reporters after the session, Commissioner of Police Ojo Adekimi said the council received detailed updates on fresh intelligence, tracking efforts and coordinated operations launched in the wake of the Eruku incident to apprehend the perpetrators and safely rescue all abducted victims.

According to him, the council commended intensified deployments across the state—including air interdiction missions that have forced criminal gangs out of several hideouts, particularly in the Ifelodun axis. It also recommended sustained aerial bombardment of identified enclaves until the networks are dismantled.

Adekimi disclosed that, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive earlier in the week, the Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun has deployed four elite tactical teams—the SWAT, Intelligence Response Team, Special Tactical Squad, and the Special Intervention Squad—to Kwara to bolster anti-kidnapping operations.

Security agencies, he said, have arrested several food and fuel suppliers alleged to be servicing the criminal gangs, as well as a man from Makurdi who confessed to repairing weapons for the kidnappers.

The council also praised the state government’s proactive decisions on school safety, noting that security measures in some affected areas may be adjusted in accordance with credible intelligence. It urged vigilance across communities, especially in light of the fresh abduction of schoolgirls in Niger State earlier yesterday.

With the festive season approaching, joint patrols by security forces have been approved statewide, alongside tighter surveillance of vulnerable locations.

The council raised concern over the harmful role of irresponsible social media posts in ongoing security operations, warning that the circulation of sensitive information—including ransom-related content—endangers citizens and undermines counter-terror efforts. It appealed for restraint and responsible public communication.

Residents were advised to avoid night-time farming and late-hour social gatherings, and to promptly report all suspicious movement to security formations, government authorities and traditional institutions.

The meeting observed a minute of silence for victims of the Eruku Christ Apostolic Church attack and extended heartfelt condolences to their families and the entire community.