From Emmanuel Onwusoro, Ado-Ekiti
The Nigerian army has deployed additional troops from the 32 Artillery Brigade to Ekiti State to beef up the security in the area following recent rise in kidnapping cases there.
The Commander, 32 Artillery Brigade, Maj. Gen. JR Lar who led the detachment of troops said it was to enhance security of the state and secure lives and property of the people, while additional troops are being expected.
He explained that apart from combing the bushes and forests in the state, the troops would also secure the state boundaries and flashpoints with the aim of getting rid of criminals including kidnappers and bandits, assuring that hideouts of kidnappers and other criminals in the state would be located and destroyed.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Information, Taiwo Olatunbosun, said the deployment of officers and men of the Nigerian Army to the State is the outcome of governor Biodun Oyebanji’s discussions with President Bola Tinubu and his meeting with the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and other Service Chiefs to bolster Security in the State against all forms of crimes.
He urged residents to go about their normal and lawful businesses without fear of molestation. The information commissioner stressed that the troops are not in the State to create anxiety or cause panic but to keep residents of the State safe and secure.
The Special Adviser to the governor Oyebanji on Security, Brig-Gen Ebenezer Ogundana described the deployment of the troops as vital to complement efforts at securing the State.
He enjoined the residents to promptly report strange movements and faces in their vicinity to the security agencies in the quest to rid the state of all criminal elements.
