Federal Government Sends Troops To Ekiti State

The Commander of 32 Artillery Brigade, Akure, Brigadier General John Lar, has said that military personnel deployed to Ekiti State would be working all day to rid the state of criminal elements. This came as a House of Assembly member, Hon Femi Bamisile called for the development of the country security-wise, particularly in the area of intelligence gathering. Bamisile, Emure/Gbonyin/Ekiti-East Federal Constituency, said improvement on such would help the Nigeria in getting to the root of the her current security crises and identifying the perpetrators.

The move was in response to Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s demand for the deployment of more military personnel to the state to bust criminal hideouts, as well as provision of a Forward Operating Base to strengthen the security architecture of the state. The strategic approach by the federal government came on the heels of recent security breaches in the state, specifically the killing of two traditional rulers in Oke-Ako area and abduction of some school pupils and their teachers in Emure Ekiti.

Speaking during an event organized by the Ekiti state government to receive the detachment of military personnel to the state, Lar stated that the soldiers were deployed to combat the activities of kidnappers, bandits and other criminals terrorising the state. He said every part of the state and all neighbouring states, would be combed and thoroughly searched such that there will be no places for the criminals to hide. “There will be no night and no day, as we are expected to clear the bushes within 24 hours; we just came now and we are starting now.” The special adviser on security to the governor, Brig-Gen. Ebenezer Ogundana (rtd), said the soldiers had been directed by the Chief of Army Staff to make sure all the criminals in the state are flushed out from their hide-outs in the forest reserves, which are occupied by bandits and terrorists across state borders with Kogi, Kwara, Osun and Ondo States.

Ogundana noted that Ekiti had been a peaceful state until the sad experiences,“With the soldiers around, I can assure our people that everybody can sleep and close their eyes. The people of the state need to give timely information to help the troops to carry out their assignment and make their jobs easier,” he said. Bamisile who wondered why technology is not being deployed to fish out kidnappers and bandits in their hideouts said heinous crimes were increasing in spite of the huge financial allocations for defence, security, and registration of citizens’ National Identification Numbers with sim cards.

Source: Leadership