Governor AbdulRazaq Lauds Tinubu After President Approves New Army Battalion in Omu Aran to Smash Kidnap Rings

In a major bid to permanently flush out kidnappers and terror cells from the vast forest reserves of the North-Central region, the Federal Government has approved the immediate creation and deployment of a new Nigerian Army battalion to Kwara State.

The major security breakthrough was made public in a statement released in Ilorin by the Kwara State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. According to the state government, the new military formation will be permanently stationed in Omu Aran, the headquarters of Irepodun Local Government Area. The strategic positioning is designed to inject massive troop numbers and heavy hardware into vulnerable rural zones, drastically shortening military response times to distress calls across the state.

Addressing the state on the development, Governor AbdulRazaq expressed deep appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for honoring his security commitments to Kwara State. The governor particularly praised the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, for the speed with which the Army headquarters reviewed and granted the state’s urgent demand for an expanded military presence.

“On behalf of the people and government of our state, I wholeheartedly thank Mr. President for yet another promise kept,” Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq stated in the official announcement. “Specifically, I express our appreciation to the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, for the swiftness with which he graciously processed our request for more hands to strengthen the presence of the Army in Kwara. We are confident that this new battalion will greatly strengthen counterterrorism and anti-kidnapping operations across various theatres.”

The arrival of a full battalion comes as a massive relief to residents in agrarian communities across Ifelodun and Irepodun LGAs, particularly areas like Babanla where local alarms were recently raised over criminal bands attempting to exploit dense forest cover to launch hit-and-run attacks.

Commending the ongoing joint efforts led by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force, and local vigilante groups, AbdulRazaq emphasized that the state government will not relent until every criminal element is cleared out. With the military hierarchy already mobilizing logistics for the Omu Aran base, Kwara State is set to deploy a formidable defensive wall against cross-border criminality and restore lasting peace to its rural households.