The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, on Monday pledged that security agencies would reclaim communities in Kwara State from criminal elements, assuring residents that intensified operations were underway to restore peace and protect lives and property.
Disu made the pledge in Ilorin while addressing security stakeholders and officers of the Nigeria Police Force during his first official visit to the state since assuming office as police chief.
He stressed that communities affected by banditry and other violent crimes would be recovered through sustained security operations.
According to him, criminals would not be allowed to drive residents out of their communities.
“We must intensify operations. These criminals cannot chase us out of our towns. We own these communities and we will not allow that to happen. We will take back our homes and communities,” he said.
The IGP explained that the visit was aimed at strengthening ongoing security efforts and encouraging officers to intensify the fight against criminal groups.
He also called on residents to support security agencies by providing credible and timely intelligence, noting that community cooperation remains key to tackling insecurity.
Disu warned against ethnic profiling, stressing that criminal acts should not be attributed to any ethnic group.
He commended members of the Fulani community who had been assisting security agencies with intelligence, adding that many of them had contributed significantly to previous operations.
“I am happy that many Fulani people are supporting us in our work. Not all Fulani are criminals. We have good Fulani who have lived peacefully with us for many years,” he said.
Representatives of the Fulani community also pledged continued support for security agencies, assuring the police of their readiness to provide intelligence that would help expose criminal hideouts.
They added that peaceful Fulani residents remained committed to living harmoniously with their host communities and would not allow criminals to damage their reputation.
The state Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, said the IGP’s visit had boosted the morale of officers and strengthened ongoing security operations in the state.
Earlier, Disu visited the Kwara State Government House in Ilorin, where he was received by Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq.
Kwara State, once regarded as relatively peaceful compared to some northern states, has in recent years recorded increasing cases of banditry, kidnappings and violent attacks across several rural communities.
Between January and early November 2025, at least 207 people were killed and 177 abducted in the state, with many incidents occurring in local government areas such as Ifelodun, Pategi, Kaiama, Irepodun and Osi.
Security concerns have also risen following attacks in Woro and surrounding communities earlier this year.
Armed groups are believed to be taking advantage of dense forests, poor road networks and unmonitored bush paths in the affected areas to carry out attacks, leaving many communities vulnerable due to limited security presence.
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