Tension In Kwara: Ekiti Tightens Security At Boundary Communities

According to Ireporter Online, the Ekiti State Government has heightened security measures across communities sharing borders with neighbouring states, following reports of recent attacks in parts of Kwara State.

Speaking on the development, the Chairman of Ajoni Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Michael Ogungbemi, disclosed that security operations and surveillance had been strengthened along communities linking Ekiti to Kwara and Kogi States.

Ogungbemi revealed that the council had launched a local security initiative tagged Operation Eborac, designed to combat banditry, kidnapping, and other criminal activities within boundary areas of the LCDA. The security outfit, he said, consists of local hunters and vigilance groups conducting 24-hour surveillance, intelligence gathering, and patrol operations to safeguard lives and property.

He further explained that Ajoni LCDA had expanded its security collaboration beyond Ekiti, partnering with both formal security agencies and non-state actors in neighbouring Kogi and Kwara States. The interstate patrols, according to him, cover key border towns such as Ilemosho, Obbo-Ayegunle, Eruku, Koro, Ogbe, and Koyan.

“With these measures in place, we have fortified our boundaries against criminal incursions,” Ogungbemi stated, adding that joint patrols with the military, police, civil defence, and local security networks had bolstered security presence across vulnerable areas.

He praised Governor Biodun Oyebanji for his continuous support in strengthening the state’s security architecture, citing the establishment of military bases in Oke Ako, Iyemero, and Itapaji as crucial steps in forestalling possible attacks. Ogungbemi noted that troops stationed at these bases had been equipped with patrol vehicles and motorbikes for efficient monitoring of border routes, forests, and rural settlements.

The chairman emphasized that these interventions had significantly enhanced peace and stability in Ekiti’s boundary communities. He urged residents, including farmers, traders, and travellers, particularly in communities such as Iyemero, Odo Owa, Irele, and Ipao, to go about their daily activities without fear.

Ogungbemi reassured the public that the state government remains committed to protecting lives and property, stressing that the fortified security presence across border areas would prevent any infiltration by bandits or kidnappers.