FIC Report (Kwara State) – Operation Savannah Shield officially took off in Kwara State on Thursday, in what is a combined effort of the government and security forces to rout “all enemies of state” in Kwara and neighbouring states.
The flag-off was done by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede, and the Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu at the Sobi Barracks in Ilorin, the headquarters of the multiagency operations which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had approved for Kwara in the wake of the deadly terrorist attack in Kaiama and parts of Niger State a few weeks ago.
Governor AbdulRazaq commended the President for the swift response to his distress call on the activities of terror groups and other criminal networks such as kidnapping gangs.
He called the take off of the operations a big relief to the people of the state, saying the banditry and terrorism are not just about the national security but a big threat to food security because the most affected areas are among the farming belts of the country.
His words: “Let me first of all thank the Commander in Chief President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the deployment of Operation Savannah Shield which will cover the entire Kwara State and parts of Niger State. This is a great relief.
In a brief interview with reporters when the CDS visited the Governor in Ilorin on Thursday, he said: “I am here in Kwara; first, to visit His Excellency and to personally commiserate with him over some recent occurrences; and to inform him that we are here to see how we can checkmate all the atrocities committed by the enemies of state.
The CDS said the operation is a proactive kinetic response to end kidnapping and related criminal activities in Kwara State, adding that the troops will sweep through the Kainji National Park to dislodge terrorist networks in the forests.
“We will combine kinetic and non-kinetic measures through robust patrols, targeted operations, strategic communication and community engagement to deny terrorists freedom of action and win the trust of our people. I call on traditional rulers, youth leaders and community stakeholders to support Operation Savannah Shield with credible information and the expected cooperation. Security is a shared responsibility and together we will reclaim every community from fear and criminality.”
Signed
FADEYI, Babajide A. (PI&PRO)
FIC, Ilorin.
