Reps seek joint security operations to dismantle criminal camps on Ekiti–Kogi–Kwara border
The House of Representatives on Wednesday called on the Office of the National Security Adviser to coordinate a joint security operation involving federal security agencies to identify and dismantle criminal
The House of Representatives on Wednesday called on the Office of the National Security Adviser to coordinate a joint security operation involving federal security agencies to identify and dismantle criminal camps operating in forests around the Ekiti–Kogi–Kwara border axis.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by the House spokesman, Akintunde Rotimi.
The House also urged the Federal Government, through the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, and other security agencies, to intensify operations in Oke-Ako, Ipao, Irele, Itapaji, Iyemero, and neighbouring communities in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State.
Lawmakers further directed the Committees on Defence, Army, Police Affairs, and National Security and Intelligence to engage relevant security agencies to determine the steps being taken to address the security situation in the area.
In addition, the House asked security agencies to strengthen intelligence gathering and surveillance across affected communities and surrounding forests to prevent further attacks.
It also called for improved collaboration between federal security agencies and recognised community-based security outfits to strengthen early warning systems and enhance rapid response capabilities.
Leading debate on the motion, Rotimi recalled that Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 states that the primary responsibility of government is the security and welfare of the people.
He expressed concern over what he described as a growing wave of kidnappings, killings, and violent attacks in communities within Ekiti North I (Ikole/Oye) Federal Constituency, particularly in Oke-Ako, Ipao, Irele, Itapaji, Iyemero, and Ijowa in Ikole Local Government Area.
According to him, recent reports indicate several kidnapping incidents along the Oke-Ako–Ipao–Irele corridor, where criminal elements operating from nearby forests have abducted residents, farmers, and travellers, creating widespread fear among local populations.
Rotimi also drew attention to an incident in late February 2026 in which a middle-aged woman was reportedly abducted, sexually assaulted, and killed by kidnappers in the Ajoni area. He said the perpetrators allegedly demanded a ransom of N1.5 million, along with illicit drugs and other unusual items, before releasing the victim’s remains.
He further told the House that attempts by community members to negotiate or deliver ransom reportedly led to the abduction of additional individuals by the same criminal group, worsening tensions and insecurity in the affected communities in Ekiti State.
He disclosed several attacks on farmers within the Irele axis, where residents have been abducted from their farmlands, and in one instance, an elderly woman popularly known in the community as “Mummy Isaac” was reportedly killed during an attack.
He said other victims have been held in captivity for extended periods, including a resident of Oke-Ako who reportedly spent about two weeks in captivity before being released in February 2026 after being transported across state lines.
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He maintained that communities of Itapaji, Iyemero, Oke-Ako, Irele, Ijowa, and Ipao have reported that armed criminal groups have effectively occupied surrounding forests and rural routes, using these locations as operational bases for kidnapping and attacks on residents.
According to him, the forests along the Ekiti–Kogi–Kwara border corridor have increasingly been exploited by criminal groups as hideouts from which attacks are launched on rural communities, thereby complicating security operations and allowing perpetrators to evade arrest.
He stressed that the persistent insecurity within the Oke-Ako, Ipao, Irele, Itapaji, Iyemero, and Ijowa axis has forced many farmers to abandon their farmlands for fear of attacks or abduction, thereby threatening agricultural productivity and local food supply within the affected communities.
He explained that the continued presence of criminal elements within surrounding forests poses a serious risk not only to residents of the affected communities but also to travellers, traders, students, and other road users who rely on these routes for their daily economic and social activities.
He expressed concern that the escalation of kidnapping incidents in the constituency, if left unchecked, could undermine public confidence in security institutions and further destabilize rural economic and social life within Ekiti State.
He said a decisive and coordinated security intervention was urgently needed to protect lives and property and restore residents' confidence in the government's ability to guarantee their safety.
