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Kwara Gov receives 23 freed abductees
- Commends Tinubu’s support, lauds security agencies
Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has received 23 abductees who were recently freed by the Nigerian Army, commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the security agencies for their support.
The Governor congratulated the victims on their freedom and promised continuous efforts to rid the state of criminal elements who were behind their abductions.
“We thank God that you were all freed following the pressure from the security forces. We also thank the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his support and the Nigerian Army and other security agencies working together to achieve this success,” the Governor said at the 22 Armored Brigade HQ during the brief ceremony for official handover of the victims
“We are glad to see 23 victims freed and presented today. We thank the Army and the Medical Centre here for looking after them since they were rescued.
“We’ve known their plights, and I assure that the government will support them in rehabilitation. The challenges we are going through, I can assure you, are temporary. Like the GoC has said, it is either they (criminals) leave Kwara or they die here. This is a state of harmony.”
AbdulRazaq appreciated the Army and the new Brigade Commander for the deployment of troops in the state to get rid of the hostile non-state actors, pledging sustainable support to the Armed Forces.
“The GoC has been on the ground for the past two weeks, and since he came, we have seen the turnaround of the event. And we have seen the criminals leaving, with many of them arrested or terminated. Peace is now being restored to Kwara,” he said.
He said the government would deploy forest guards immediately the Army finishes the clean-up operation in the affected areas to maintain peace and pave the way for the return of farming activities.
The Governor was received by the Brigade Commander 22 Armoured Brigade Sobi, Brigadier General Nicholas Rume.
On the Governor’s entourage were the Chairman, Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, Alhaji Abdullateef Gidado Alakawa, and the Senior Special Assistant on Security Alhaji Muyideen Aliyu.
Brigadier General Rume, for his part, acknowledged the support the troops have been receiving from the state government, and pledged to continue to mount pressure on the criminals until they were rid of the whole of Kwara state.
“Your Excellency, I thank you very much once again and we do really appreciate your efforts because without that, a lot of operations that have been going on would not have been possible,” he said.
“We promise you that we will continue to do our best until these miscreants leave this area. Let me quote what the General Officer Commanding said when I arrived. His order is explicit. ‘It is either the bandits leave Kwara State or they die’. That is the only mandate I have, and I will continue to do my best with my officers to achieve that.”
Pastor Obafemi, a victim who recounted his ordeal, said it was a very traumatic experience to be held against their wishes by the criminals.
He thanked the government and the security agencies for saving their lives.
“I thank the Governor and the troops for the efforts which led to our rescue. God will give you enablement to press forward in this and overcome the people around us that are tormenting us,” Obafemi said.
Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has expressed the appreciation of the people of the state to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the commencement of construction work on the Oko Olowo Bridge.
In a statement on Thursday, the Governor said the project underscores the love of the President for the people of the state and his commitment to public welfare.
“Our advocacy on this bridge began since 2019. We again renewed this advocacy as the President settled down in the office in 2023. I recall visiting the Hon. Minister HE David Umahi in 2024 in company of His Excellency Governor of Kogi State Ahmed Usman Ododo, Hon. Mukhtar Shagaya and Hon. Ahmed Yinka Aluko to further press for urgent construction of the bridge as well as Ilorin-Lokoja Road via Omu Aran,” the Governor said in the statement.
“In a visit to the state in October 2025, the Hon. Minister assured us that work will soon begin on the bridge. So what is happening today is a dream come true and promise kept by the President and the Hon. Minister. We are grateful and we see this as an intentional effort to protect lives and property. It is a relief to tens of thousands of our people who live in that axis or travel along that road every other day. We are also confident that the Hon. Minister will graciously expedite action on our other requests, including the Ilorin-Lokoja via Omu Aran, for the good of our people.
“This Oko Olowo project is one of the many other dividends of democracy that our people have enjoyed, and it is another reason that the people of our state will vote massively for the President and all APC candidates in the coming election.
Troops of Sector 8, Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP), have engaged suspected local militia elements in a fierce firefight during a clearance operation at Kogul Village in Muko District, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Our correspondent reports that, the operation, conducted between Sept. 8 and 9, followed reports of arson, destruction of farmlands and the expulsion of residents from the community.
During the operation, the troops established contact with the suspected militias and engaged them in a fierce firefight, forcing the criminals to withdraw into the forest.
A soldier, Pte. Husseini Ibrahim, sustained a gunshot wound to his right leg during the encounter and was evacuated to General Hospital, Mangu, for medical attention.
Troops subsequently exploited the general area in an effort to locate and arrest the fleeing criminals and recover their weapons.
However, no further contact was established before the troops returned to base, while operations to track the fleeing suspects remain ongoing.
Troops of Sector 6, Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP), have neutralised a suspected kidnapper during a gun battle with a group of kidnappers at Angwan Boka in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The troops, who were deployed in the area, engaged the suspected kidnappers at about 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, following a report of their activities in the area.
During the encounter, the troops brought their superior firepower to bear, neutralising one of the kidnappers, while others fled into the surrounding area.
The troops subsequently exploited the area and recovered one locally fabricated AK-47 rifle loaded with six rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition.
Zagazola Makama reports that troops are currently conducting clearance operations in the area to track down and neutralise other fleeing members of the kidnapping gang.
The operation is part of ongoing efforts by troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE to disrupt criminal activities and improve security across Plateau State.
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