By Joy Odor Reportcircle News
Nigeria’s military yesterday launched a sweeping offensive against terrorists and kidnappers in the North Central, declaring that forests and hideouts across Kwara and parts of Niger State will no longer be safe territory for criminal gangs.
At the 22 Brigade, Sobi Military Cantonment in Ilorin, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, formally activated Operation Savannah Shield an intelligence-driven joint task force designed to dismantle terror cells, bandit networks and kidnapping syndicates operating in the region.
Standing before armed troops and security chiefs, the CDS made it clear: this is not another routine deployment.
“This is a deliberate offensive. Criminal elements will be denied freedom of action,” he warned.
Oluyede announced sustained clearance operations across forest enclaves and ungoverned corridors long exploited by terrorists.
Troops, he said, will dominate the operational environment, consolidate earlier security gains and protect key farming communities.
He stressed the operation will secure major agricultural belts, a move authorities believe will directly boost food production and rural economic recovery.
“These hideouts will no longer serve as safe havens,” the CDS declared, promising relentless stabilisation patrols.
The defence chief urged traditional rulers, youth groups and residents to supply credible intelligence, insisting security is a collective responsibility.
He disclosed that the Theatre Commander, Major General Yakubu Yahaya, will coordinate integrated operations across the joint operational area alongside multiple security agencies.
Military authorities also emphasised tighter inter-agency synergy to achieve decisive outcomes.
Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq described the deployment as urgent and reassuring, citing recent terrorist incursions in Kwara North, parts of Kwara South and neighbouring Niger communities.
While noting that security efforts had stabilised parts of the state, he admitted fresh threats demanded stronger federal action.
The governor said the operation would restore public confidence and revive economic activity.
He thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the rapid response and predicted farmers displaced by attacks would soon return to their fields.
Chief of Defence Operations, Major General Jamal Abdulsalam, praised coordination among security agencies, saying unified command remains the backbone of mission success.
The flag-off drew top military brass including the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, heads of security agencies and traditional rulers signalling what officials called a national consensus against terror.
Military authorities ended the ceremony with a blunt message:
Nigeria’s Armed Forces, they said, “will stop at nothing” to eliminate terrorists from the region.
