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Governor AbdulRahman on Tuesday received 23 abductees recently freed by the Nigerian Army, commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the security agencies for their support.
Speaking at the 22 Armoured Brigade Headquarters during a brief ceremony for the official handover of the victims, the governor congratulated them on their freedom and promised continued efforts to rid the state of criminal elements responsible for their abductions.
“We thank God that you were all freed following the pressure from the security forces. We also thank the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his support, as well as the Nigerian Army and other security agencies for working together to achieve this success.
“We are glad to see 23 victims freed and presented today. We thank the Army and the Medical Centre here for looking after them since their rescue.
“We’ve known their plight, and I assure you that the government will support them in rehabilitation. The challenges we are going through, I can assure you, are temporary. Like the GOC has said, it is either they (the criminals) leave Kwara or they die here. This is a state of harmony,” he said.
AbdulRazaq appreciated the Army and the new Brigade Commander for deploying troops to the state to flush out hostile non-state actors, pledging continued support for the Armed Forces.
“The GOC has been on the ground for the past two weeks, and since he arrived, we have witnessed a turnaround of events. We have seen the criminals leaving, with many of them arrested or neutralised. Peace is now being restored to Kwara,” he added.
The governor said the government would deploy forest guards immediately after the Army completes its clean-up operations in the affected areas to maintain peace and enable the resumption of farming activities.
The governor was received by the Brigade Commander, 22 Armoured Brigade, Sobi, Brigadier General Nicholas Rume.
On the governor’s entourage were the Chairman, Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, Alhaji Abdullateef Gidado Alakawa, and the Senior Special Assistant on Security, Alhaji Muyideen Aliyu.
Brigadier General Rume, in his remarks, acknowledged the support the troops had been receiving from the state government and pledged to sustain the offensive against criminal elements until they were completely flushed out of Kwara State.
“Your Excellency, I thank you very much once again. We truly appreciate your efforts because, without your support, many of the ongoing operations would not have been possible,” he said.
“We promise that we will continue to do our best until these miscreants leave this area. Let me quote what the General Officer Commanding said when I arrived — his order is explicit: ‘It is either the bandits leave Kwara State or they die.’ That is the only mandate I have, and I will continue to do my best with my officers to achieve that.”
One of the victims, Pastor Obafemi, who recounted his ordeal, described the experience as traumatic, saying it was harrowing to be held against their will by the kidnappers.
He thanked the government and the security agencies for saving their lives.
“I thank the governor and the troops for their efforts, which led to our rescue. God will grant you the strength to press forward and overcome those who are tormenting us,” Obafemi said.
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