Nine kidnapped victims have been freed and three suspected bandits killed following an intelligence-driven operation by a joint security taskforce in Kwara State.
The operation, which targeted forest routes in the Ekiti Local Government Area near the Ekiti and Kogi state borders, was confirmed in a statement released in Ilorin on Wednesday by Dada Sunday, Chief Press Secretary to the local council chairman.
According to the official account, the victims were seized from the Eju community near a local market. Their captors were attempting to move them through dense woodland towards Niger State when joint security forces intercepted them along the Obbo-Aiyegunle, Ejiu-Ora, and Osi axes.
Recounting the ordeal, rescued victim Umaru Muazu described how gunmen ambushed him and his son. “Men came from nowhere and put a gun to my head. Four of them took me and my son. Fear gripped me, and I fell to the ground. They also took my friend’s motorcycle and kidnapped us,” Muazu said.
Another survivor, Ibrahim Danga, confirmed that their captivity was cut short when security forces intervened. Video footage from the scene later showed operational teams presenting the rescued individuals alongside several motorcycles seized from the gunmen.
The rescue team—comprising Kwara State Forest Guards, Department of State Services operatives, local hunters, and vigilantes—engaged the bandits in a gun battle following a coordinated bush-combing exercise.
“We neutralised three of them and rescued nine people. One of the victims is receiving treatment for injuries,” said Kwara Forest Guard member Owolabi Adebayo.
Adebayo issued an urgent plea for enhanced funding and operational hardware to tackle heavily armed criminal groups in the region.
“There is no type of firearm that is not in their hands. We need more equipment such as body armour, binoculars, night-vision goggles, walkie-talkies and more ammunition to confront them,” he warned.
Local security officials praised the tactical execution of the mission. Agbemuko Gabriel, Chief Security Officer for Ekiti Local Government Area, highlighted the critical contribution of the state-recruited guards along the Ora-Yetoro axis, noting, “They have been doing enough security and intelligence work for us, and we are happy for that.”
The successful mission forms part of a broader security push across Kwara’s southern border districts, where authorities have intensified foot patrols and joint operations to eliminate banditry. The effort aligns with recent federal measures, including President Bola Tinubu’s approval of a new Nigerian Army battalion based in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area, designed to strengthen counter-terrorism and anti-banditry operations across the state.