By Reuben Ibru
National News – Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has vowed that the newly launched Iru Ekun Security Network will work to reclaim forests in Kwara State from bandits and other criminal elements terrorising communities.
Speaking on Thursday during the inauguration of the security outfit at Igbomina House in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, Igboho said the initiative was established to complement the efforts of the government and conventional security agencies in tackling kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes.
He dismissed reports suggesting that Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq opposed his visit, insisting that he believed the governor shared the concerns of residents over the state’s security challenges.
According to him, the governor’s deployment of security personnel across affected communities demonstrates his commitment to protecting lives and property.
Igboho also commended the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, for his professionalism and support during previous security operations. He recalled that the police commissioner promptly deployed officers to assist his team during a forest rescue mission linking Oyo and Kwara states after being informed of their movement.
The activist announced that the Iru Ekun Security Network would begin operations in Babanla and later move to Eruku, communities he identified as major flashpoints for criminal activities.
He expressed confidence that the presence of the security outfit had already unsettled bandits, stressing that criminals would no longer be allowed to occupy forests and use them as bases for attacks on innocent residents.
Igboho maintained that the security network was not created to replace the Nigeria Police Force or other security agencies but to strengthen ongoing efforts to restore peace and improve security across Kwara State.
He called for closer collaboration between local communities, the police, the military and other security agencies, saying a united approach was essential to reducing kidnapping, banditry and other forms of violent crime.
The activist further alleged that criminal gangs had continued to thrive because of the support and information provided by local collaborators. He urged residents, particularly young people, to expose those aiding bandits and refrain from activities that threaten public safety.
Igboho also dismissed claims that the Iru Ekun Security Network was established to target Fulani people, insisting that the outfit’s operations were directed solely at criminal elements, regardless of their ethnic background.
He advised residents to hand over unarmed suspects to the police instead of taking the law into their own hands, while warning that armed criminals posing immediate threats to communities would be confronted.
Igboho attributed the establishment of the Iru Ekun Security Network to President Bola Tinubu and prayed for the President’s good health and a successful completion of his tenure.
He added that operatives of the security outfit had been directed to work in partnership with the Nigeria Police Force and other recognised security agencies in carrying out security operations across Kwara State.
