Tinubu lauded as Army deployed to rout kidnappers from Kwara forests
…as Senate counters Christian genocide allegations
The Nigerian Army has deployed a full brigade and military hardware to different parts of Kwara South as troops were already milling through communities inward Oke Ode and Babanla, both in Ifelodun Local Government Area.
The operation is also extending to Edu and Patigi to comb through thick forests from which kidnappers have launched attacks on different communities and abducted people for ransom.
A statement by Rafiu Ajakaye, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq indicated that the governor had met with President Bola Tinubu on the issue at the weekend on the sideline of the visit to Jos, commending the president for the support, and the military high-command and allied security forces for the renewed intervention to eliminate all threats to public safety in the State.
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“We will not spare any resources in support of the military, DSS, police, and other security agencies as they work to strengthen security of lives and properties.
“We are upbeat that this operation, as part of the Operation Fasan Yanma, will eliminate all of forms of threats in affected areas in Kwara South and Kwara North. I thank the President and the security agencies for the efforts so far.
“As I said a few days ago, we just need to double our efforts to save the people. We are confident that the operation, under the theatre commander Major General Soyele, who is accompanied by Brigadier General AA Babatunde, will succeed in this important task and clear the entire areas,” the governor said.
It will be recalled that the Army Headquarters had recently directed the GOC 2 Division Major General CR Nnebeife to relocate to Kwara to coordinate the operations to roll back the activities of the criminals.
He also commended the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Army Staff, the General Officer Commanding of the 2nd Division, and every other officer for their support.
Meanwhile, the Senate on Thursday rejected what it described as “false and dangerous” claims of an ongoing Christian genocide in Nigeria.
The Senate resolved to engage members of the United States Congress to correct what it termed a gross misrepresentation of the country’s security situation.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Mohammed Ali Ndume (Senator, Borno South), and co-sponsored by Sani Musa (Senator, Niger East), Aliyu Wamako (Senator, Sokoto North), Ibrahim Bomai (Senator, Yobe South), and seven others.
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The motion, entitled “Urgent Need to Correct Misconceptions Regarding the Purported ‘Christian Genocide’ Narrative in Nigeria and International Communities,” warned that the growing narrative of religious persecution was being weaponised by foreign interests and advocacy groups.
Presenting the motion, Ndume said while the Senate acknowledges the “tragic and unacceptable” attacks suffered by Christian communities, it was misleading to interpret Nigeria’s security crisis in purely religious terms.
