A high-stakes security operation in Kwara State has ended in a major win against criminal elements, as joint forces successfully neutralized three bandits and secured the release of nine captives. The mission, carried out in the Ekiti Local Government Area, targeted areas bordering Ekiti State, specifically around Obbo Aiyegunle, Ejiu Ora, and Osi.
The operation was driven by precise intelligence. Operatives from the Department of State Services teamed up with state forest guards, local hunters, and dedicated vigilante groups to track down the gang. The kidnappers, who were over ten in number, had been holding victims abducted from various locations, including farmers snatched directly from their fields. The intensity of the security team’s firepower eventually forced the criminals to abandon their captives and flee the scene.
Prince Dada Sunday, the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of Ekiti LGA, confirmed the details of the rescue on Wednesday. He noted that the victims had been rounded up from different areas before the security forces successfully overwhelmed their captors. One of the rescued individuals was reportedly suffering from severe injuries inflicted by a machete after a struggle during the initial abduction.
For those caught in the middle, the experience was terrifying. Umaru Muazu, a local from Obbo Aiyegunle, described how the armed men simply materialized and held him and his son at gunpoint before marching them into the bush and seizing a friend’s motorcycle. Another farmer, Ibrahim Danga, shared a similar account of their captivity before the sudden arrival of the rescue team turned the tide.
Following the success of the mission, members of the Kwara Forest Guards are calling for better support to sustain these efforts. Owolabi Adebayo, an officer involved in the operation, highlighted the heavy armament the bandits possessed and stressed the urgent need for enhanced equipment. He emphasized that for the security teams to continue confronting these threats effectively, they require critical gear, such as body armor, night vision capabilities, reliable communication tools, and more ammunition.
