Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti
The governments of Kwara and Ekiti states have mapped out strategies to combat cross-border kidnappers and killers operating between the two states.
The action followed the security threats being experienced at border towns.
The two states regretted the orgy of violence through incessant kidnapping and killing of innocent citizens at the borders in recent time, saying efforts must be intensified to curtail the horrendous acts.
This was the agreement reached during the security meeting held on Tuesday at Otun Ekiti, by the Chairmen of Moba, Ilejemeje , and Ero councils of Ekiti State, with their counterpart in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.
Speaking after the meeting, the Chairman of Ero Local Council Development Area of Ekiti, Hon. Akin Alebiosu, said the security alert raised over alleged infiltration of some forests in the South-west and North-central regions of the country spurred the meeting.
Alebiosu said though the alarm was still in the realm of conjecture, he added that the four councils that shared borders between Ekiti and Kwara won’t treat such life-threatening panic with disdain.
The council boss stated that they have decided to work together through rallying of local hunters and Amotekun Corps to patrol the borders to ward off bandits, who have been banking on porosity of the area to commit crimes.
Alebiosu said: “This meeting was aimed at improving the security situation and how best to strengthen our security architecture in the current fight against kidnapping, killing and herders-farmers clashes.
“It had been observed that anyone kidnapped in Ekiti was being freed in Kwara and those kidnapped in Kwara were brought to Ekiti and this shows that the borders must be fortified.
“Part of our strategies is to rally our local hunters and Amotekun to be on patrol 24 hours and this they will do in collaboration with conventional security formations like Army, Police and NSCDC”.
On his part, the Chairman of Moba Local Government Area, Mr. Ibukun Adeoye, commended Governors Kayode Fayemi and AbdulRazaq Abdurahman for being sensitive to the plights of the people at the borders.
Adeoye said the actions being taken by the two governors had helped in stemming the tide, adding that the situation could have been worse if not for the proactive steps being intensified by the two states.
