• cautions residents on fake news, false alarm

The Senior Special Assistant to Kwara State Governor on Communications, Ibraheem Abdullateef, has urged full public support for the government in its efforts to address the security breaches in parts of the state.

The Governor’s aide said residents of Kwara have a common enemy in the marauding kidnappers, stressing the need for unity and cooperation in ridding off the criminal elements across communities.

Abdullateef made these statements during his appearance on a radio programme, Ijoba Mekunu, on Sobi 101.9 FM Ilorin at the weekend, as part of his media sensitisation on the state government’s responses to the security breaches.

The SSA Communications encouraged Kwarans to shun divisive rhetoric along ethnic, tribal، and religious lines.

“As Kwarans, we must resist the temptations to turn against ourselves. We should stand as one, united behind the government and His Excellency Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in fighting off these criminals,” he said.

“In this situation, we only have one common enemy, which is the marauding criminals attacking our communities. Therefore, we should not stoke or buy into a divisive agenda that can turn us against one another, whether as Kwara Central, Kwara North or Kwara South. Together, we will come out safer and stronger.”

Abdullateef highlighted the crucial steps taken by Governor AbdulRazaq on security before and after the Oke Ode attack, noting insinuations that the Governor has not been responsive are not correct.

He said the Governor has called for more deployment of military officers to the state, adding that the GOC 2 Division Ibadan also relocated to Kwara to support the ongoing offensive to rout the criminals’ hideouts.

“At least 35 of those criminals were arrested or neutralised in the last three weeks. The recent operation by joint security forces within Kwara-Kogi borders also led to the killing of a kidnap kingpin known as Maidawa. Several other bandits were also eliminated in a major onslaught launched in the Baba Sango forest where the criminals are hibernating,” he noted.

He called on members of the public to avoid spreading fake news and raising false alarms on the operations of bandits in Kwara communities.