AbdulRazaq seeks stronger military presence in Kwara communities

Kwara State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has sought increased military presence and stronger collaboration among security agencies to address security challenges in vulnerable communities across the state.

The governor made the request during a meeting with the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, at the Ship House, headquarters of the Ministry of Defence in Abuja, on Tuesday.

Details of the meeting were disclosed in a post shared on the official Facebook page of the Kwara State Government on Wednesday and sighted by The PUNCH in Ilorin.

According to the statement, “During the meeting, Abdulrazaq briefed the minister on the security situation in Kwara and sought increased support and cooperation between security agencies and the state, including enhanced military presence in vulnerable communities.

“The governor has left no stone unturned in his quest to ensure that the security challenges in Kwara are nipped in the bud and peace is restored in affected communities.”

The statement added that AbdulRazaq had engaged top federal authorities and security chiefs as part of efforts to strengthen security architecture in the state.

“He has met with President Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, the Minister of Defence, and heads of various security agencies in the country,” the statement added.

It further highlighted the establishment of the Safer Kwara Security Committee to develop lasting solutions to security threats confronting communities.

“He also set up the Safer Kwara Security Committee, a cabinet-level committee tasked with developing sustainable solutions to security challenges in the state.

“The governor also engaged traditional rulers and stakeholders in designing a Kwara-specific security framework,” the statement noted.

It said the governor also constituted a security strategy committee of retired military officers made up of Kwara-born retired Generals and senior security experts to bolster peace and security efforts.

“Similarly, the governor constituted a security strategy committee of retired military officers, comprising Kwara-born retired generals and senior security experts, to strengthen peace and address security challenges across communities,” the statement said.

The government also cited the deployment of trained forest guards and continued logistical support to security agencies as part of the administration’s security interventions.

“Governor AbdulRazaq also supported the establishment and deployment of well-trained forest guards to improve surveillance and security in ungoverned forests and vulnerable communities in Kwara North and Kwara South,” the statement said.

It added, “The NGF chairman has also consistently supported the military, police, intelligence agencies, and other security outfits with logistics and operational assistance, including the donation of hundreds of patrol vehicles and motorcycles to aid their operations in affected communities.”