Veteran Journalist and Community Leader in Kwara State, Elder Oyin Zubair, has hailed the gradual restoration of peace to parts of Kwara South after months of coordinated bandit attacks.
In an exclusive interview in Ilorin, Elder Zubair, who also coordinates the Kwara South Joint Security Task Force, said more than 1,000 local security personnel have now been deployed across Babanla, Oke-Ode, and other troubled communities.
He explained that the situation is now stabilizing due to renewed collaboration between local vigilantes and state authorities.
The Journalist described the attacks as coordinated and brutal as some informants within local communities aided the assailants.
He commended Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his proactive and quiet leadership as the Governor responded promptly with training and better equipment for forest guards.
Elder Zubair pointed out that the federal government’s intervention also helped stem the tide of attacks and cited the establishment of a new military formation the 22 Armoured Brigade in Babanla, being a turning point in restoring calm to the area.
He praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Chief of Defence Staff for sustaining security collaboration with the state.
The Community Leader, however, warned that Nigeria’s intelligence operations remain weak and must be strengthened if the country hopes to defeat banditry and terrorism nationwide.
Elder Zubair said the bandits, many of whom were dislodged from Niger and Kwara North, had found safe havens in the dense forests around Babasango, a border region linking Kwara, Kogi, and Ekiti states.
On the broader national context, the journalist expressed optimism that the recent shake-up in Nigeria’s security leadership would enhance professionalism and accountability among the armed forces.
Elder Zubair also reflected on journalism and governance and urged media practitioners to uphold professionalism amid the rise of unregulated online platforms.
He lauded the Governor Abdulrazaq’s administration for balancing development across the state and cited new roads, health facilities, and the establishment of a civic development centre in Igbaja.
Elder Zubair, a longtime advocate of grassroots development, called for creation of more Local Governments or administrative development areas to speed up governance and response to emergencies.
