Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Tuesday received 23 abductees recently rescued by the Nigerian Army, commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the nation’s security forces for their decisive role in securing their freedom.
The Governor, who met the victims at the 22 Armoured Brigade Headquarters in Sobi, Ilorin, congratulated them on their release and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to eliminating criminal elements across the state.
“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 during the brief handover ceremony.
“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 also lauded the new Brigade Commander and troops for their intensified operations in the state, noting that their presence has yielded positive results.
“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.
The Governor disclosed plans to deploy forest guards immediately after the Army’s clean-up operation to sustain peace and support the return of farming in the affected areas.
AbdulRazaq was received by the Brigade Commander, 22 Armoured Brigade Sobi, Brigadier General Nicholas Rume, alongside members of his entourage including the Chairman of the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, Alhaji Abdullateef Gidado Alakawa, and the Senior Special Assistant on Security, Alhaji Muyideen Aliyu.
In his remarks, Brigadier General Rume commended the state government for its unwavering support to security operations and vowed to sustain pressure on criminal groups.
“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.”
One of the rescued victims, Pastor Obafemi, recounted his ordeal, describing the experience as traumatic and expressing gratitude to the government and the security agencies.
“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.
The statement was issued by Rafiu Ajakaye, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor.
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