By Oladele Ogunsola.
Kwara State on Sunday was in the news again for bandits invasion of an ECWA Church in Omugo community in Ifelodun Local Government area of the state where several worshippers were said to have been abducted out which three were however rescued by Joint Security operatives acting swiftly.
Reports gathered that the attack occurred during the morning service on Sunday with the attackers storming the Church premises which caused panic among worshippers and residents and in the melee, several worshippers were abducted before the intervention of security forces.
Sources closed to the Kwara South Joint Security Watch disclosed that the abductees would not be less than seven.
In a statement by the Kwara State Commissioner for Communications, Bolanle Olukoju, the incident was confirmed and the rescue of three of the victims also confirmed with the assurance that efforts were ongoing to secure the release of the remaining victims.
According to the Commissioner, “we commend the immediate and coordinated response of the security forces, forest guards and local vigilantes, which led to the rescue of three of the abducted victims and helped and helped repelled the attackers”.
She made it known that the government had directed security agencies to intensify efforts to apprehend the perpetrators and ensure the safe return of the remaining victims.
Commending the immediate response of the security forces and other stakeholders, she said “the government tasks them to ensure that the ongoing manhunt leads to the rescue of the remaining victims and the arrest of perpetrators”.
Olukoju, who condemned the targeting of a religious centre by the invaders described the strategy as cowardly and unacceptable, adding, “the Kwara State Government strongly condemned the cowardly targeting of a place of worship under any guise and we reaffirm that such acts of violence have no place in our communities”.
Asking residents to support ongoing security efforts by remaining vigilant and cooperating with authorities, the Commissioner said, “we call on community members to continue to work closely with security agencies, forest guards and local vigilantes to bring an end to this menace and safeguard our communities”.
She highlighted that ongoing forest combing operations had already yielded positive results and “we also commend the appreciable progress made in the ongoing combing of the forests, which has significantly curtailed the activities of criminal elements across affected areas”.
She reiterated government’s commitment to protecting lives and property, assuring residents of sustained collaboration with all security stakeholders.
Security concerns have heightened in the state following intelligence reports of planned coordinated attacks across Kwara South and the Kwara South Joint Security Watch had warned of possible attacks targeting Ifelodun, Irepodun and Isin Local Government Areas.
Coordinator of the group, Olaitan Oyin-Zubair, said, “from the intelligence we gathered, they are planning to strike and we do not want to take anything for granted”.
Oyin-Zubair disclosed that military and paramilitary personnel, alongside air surveillance, had been deployed to forestall the anticipated attacks and urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities.
