…….in Kwara State
Biodun Esan, Ilorin
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State at the weekend presented N80 million cheque to families of the forest guards and vigilantes who recently lost their lives during encounters with kidnappers in Babanla, Oke Ode, and Eleyin of Ifelodun and Isin Local Government Areas of the state.
Rafiu Ajakaye, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, who disclosed this in a statement on Monday said that the Governor has also approved N100m support for the families of brave men in Edu and Patigi local government areas who died in an ambush in July by kidnappers as the former set out to confront them in the wake of abductions in the area.
AbdulRazaq saluted the bravery and patriotism of all the victims and prayed to God to repose their souls.
“We pray for the souls of the deceased. It was an unfortunate incident. They died in active service. The government cannot but sympathise with the families.
“We will do the needful to keep supporting them and making sure that the state is safe, and our country is safe.
“As you can see, the military has moved in with full force.
“We look forward to supporting the Nigerian Army and other security agencies as they chase the criminals out of the state,” the Governor said while presenting checks to the families.
The meeting was attended by the Chairman, Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, and a chieftain of APC from Asa, Alhaji Abdullateef Gidado Alakawa and Chairman of Ifelodun Local Government, Alhaji Femi Yusuf.
Others were Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Security, Alhaji Muyideen Aliyu; Chairman of Ilorin West, Mall Shehu AbdulRahaman Ladan; Chairman of Asa, Alhaji Shehu Yahaya; and families of the victims.
Alakawa and Yusuf, in their separate remarks, commended the Governor’s gesture, which they said will go a long way in ameliorating the suffering of the bereaved families.
They also lauded the Governor for his unrelenting efforts to chase out criminals and restore a lasting peace in the affected parts of the state.
Meanwhile, the Government has supplied new logistics support, including fighting equipment and motorcycles, to the forest guards and vigilantes maintained by communities in the flashpoints.
The new logistics have positioned the forest guards and the vigilantes to better hunt down the kidnappers and defend their communities to complement the efforts of the conventional security forces.
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