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By Oscar Okhifo
A major security operation is underway in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, where combined security forces late Monday night stormed criminal hideouts around Baba Sango, a volatile axis near the Kogi border, dealing a decisive blow to the gangs terrorising the region.
The offensive, described by top military officers as “sustained and overwhelming,” has already left multiple casualties on the side of the outlaws.
The coordinated push came less than 24 hours after the Sunday attack on Oke Ode, which jolted the state and triggered urgent security recalibrations at the highest levels of government.
Determined to forestall further incursions, troops from multiple formations converged on Baba Sango, engaging the criminals in fierce gun duels under the cover of night.
On Tuesday morning, the Nigerian Air Force confirmed that its jets had conducted aerial bombardments of identified criminal positions in the area.
According to an officer familiar with the mission, “the airstrikes were carefully guided and provided the ground forces with strategic cover, giving the operation added bite.”
The development marks a significant escalation in the fight, with the military introducing air power into the long-running effort to flush out bandits and insurgents operating within the Kwara-Kogi axis.
Though details remain sketchy, field reports suggest that several criminal camps were razed in the process.
A government insider revealed that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq had, in recent days, mounted intense pressure on security agencies to not only contain but decisively dismantle the networks threatening peace in the state.
“There will be no break in the onslaught anytime soon,” he said.
Military spokesmen have remained tight-lipped, stressing that the priority for now is to consolidate the gains of the operation and prevent regrouping by the criminals.
Analysts see the rapid mobilisation of both ground and air assets as a signal that Kwara authorities are determined to avoid a repeat of the Oke Ode tragedy.
Security analysts, however, cautioned that while the latest offensive is commendable, it risks being another “flash in the pan” unless sustained.
They argued that bandits fleeing one axis could regroup in unchecked areas, stressing the need for a coordinated mega-operation involving contiguous states and federal forces striking simultaneously from all fronts.
Only such a sweeping campaign, they said, would close escape routes and deliver lasting peace to the region.