The Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu made a high profile first official visit to Kwara State on Monday. He pledged an intensified security offensive to flush out militiamen. He also promised to restore normal life to affected villages.
Disu spoke in Ilorin while addressing security stakeholders and police personnel. He said sustained operations would drive criminal elements from rural strongholds. These efforts would reassure traumatised communities.
The visit follows Disu’s recent confirmation as head of the national police. This appointment was ratified by the Nigeria Police Council earlier this month.
Nigeria Police Force sources say the IGP used the trip to set an operational tone for his tenure. He also demanded a step change in proactive policing across the state.
Disu told officers and local leaders bluntly that towns and hamlets must not be ceded to criminals.
“These criminals cannot chase us out of our hometown. We are the owners of the town, and we will not allow that to happen,” he said, urging front line units to increase patrols, raids and intelligence led operations.
He also called for closer cooperation with residents and promised more operational bases and logistical support where necessary.
Community Cooperation and Ethnic Sensitivity
A central thrust of the IGP’s message was the need for credible and timely intelligence from residents. Additionally, it highlighted the importance of careful handling of ethnic sensitivities.
Disu warned against ethnic profiling and said criminality should not be ascribed to any group. He singled out a Fulani intelligence network. It had provided useful tips in past operations. He praised peaceful Fulani citizens for their cooperation.
Representatives of the group reaffirmed their willingness to continue providing information. They called for stronger partnerships between communities and security agencies.
Kwara Commissioner of Police Adekimi Ojo told the IGP and local media that the visit had boosted officers’ morale. This would translate into stepped up operations across troubled corridors.
He said the command would collaborate with other security formations. Their goal is to close hideouts. These hideouts are exploited by armed groups in forested terrain and along poor rural road networks.
Scale of the Threat
Kwara’s slide from relative calm to a security hotspot in less than two years is stark. Independent reporting and monitoring groups put the human cost high.
One review of incidents from January to early November 2025 documented more than 200 killings and nearly 180 abductions as bandits and armed groups widened their reach into rural local government areas such as Ifelodun, Pategi, Kaiama, Irepodun and Osin.
The scale of violence surged earlier this year when a single overnight strike on villages in the Kaiama area killed scores of residents and prompted the federal government to deploy an army battalion and launch a new military posture for the district.
Commentators described that assault as among the deadliest recent attacks in the region. It sharpened calls for a coordinated security response. This response should blend policing, military support, and civil intelligence.
Operational Challenges
Armed groups have exploited dense forest cover, poor road infrastructure, and unmonitored bush paths. They use these conditions to mount raids and then disappear into the hinterland.
Limited state presence in many wards has allowed criminal networks to entrench. Security officials say the work ahead is complex.
It will require establishing new forward bases. Patrol patterns need improvement. Checkpoints must be tightened. Evidence-led arrests should be accelerated to degrade gang command and supply lines.
The IGP’s reference to adding operational bases signals a shift toward sustained presence rather than episodic raids.
Security Pattern Seen Across Expanding Frontiers
The pattern emerging in Kwara mirrors developments previously observed in several northern states. Sustained military pressure in established bandit enclaves displaced armed groups into softer targets.
Security analysts say the shift has opened new operational corridors across parts of the North Central region. These include Kwara’s forest belts and remote agrarian communities.
Without sustained policing presence, intelligence-driven operations and rural security infrastructure, gains against these criminal networks risk remaining temporary.
The IGP’s public pledges are necessary. They will only be credible if followed by measurable outcomes. These include arrests, weapons seizures, rescue of abductees, and visible reductions in attacks.
Communities must see security in their day to day lives not only on the evening news.
What Needs To Happen Next
• Rapid establishment of operational bases and joint tasking with the army to secure forest corridors and chokepoints.
• A community protection programme that rewards credible intelligence while safeguarding informants from reprisals.
• A coordinated intelligence fusion cell in Ilorin to process tips, map criminal networks and prioritise targets.
• Better road access and surveillance in rural wards to deny bandits mobility and safe havens.
• Transparent reporting on arrests, prosecutions and victim assistance to rebuild public trust.
Conclusion. The IGP’s visit is an important early performance marker for the new police leadership. Nonetheless, words alone will not alter the trajectory of criminal activity across Kwara’s forests and farms.
Residents and farmers ultimately need steady security. They require reliable access to markets and schools. Additionally, a restoration of the civic order is necessary so that life can proceed without fear.
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