By Rotimi Ojomoyela, Ado-Ekiti

As part of efforts to strengthen security across the nooks and crannies of Ekiti State, the first deployment of Army personnel by the Nigerian Army headquarters arrived Ado- Ekiti, the state capital, on Thursday.

The military personnel arrived in Ado-Ekiti around 9 a.m. and converged on Fajuyi Pavillion, where they had a parade before departing to different locations for the commencement of their operations.

The troop was received by Brig General Ebenezer Ogundana (rtd), Special Adviser on Security Matters, to Governor Biodun Oyebanji. He said the deployment of military personnel followed a series of deliberations between the governor and service chiefs in Abuja, prompted by recent violent incidents in the state, including the gruesome killing of two monarchs and the abduction of some schoolchildren and their teachers.

Gen Ogundana, who emphasised the state’s firm stance against criminal tendencies and the determination of the state government to ensure that the forests being used as hideouts for criminal activities were combed and free the state of all criminal infiltrators, added that the state would leave no stone unturned in the bid to preserve the lives and properties of citizens.

While urging residents to maintain calm and carry on with their daily activities without fear, he also urged them to promptly report any suspicious activities to law enforcement agencies.

Justifying Governor Oyebanji’s multifaceted approach to combating criminality, Gen Ogundana said the government would continue to safeguard the lives and properties of Ekiti State citizens by all possible means, even while working hard to bring all perpetrators of the heinous crimes to book.

Welcoming the soldiers to the state, Gen Ogundana assured them of the state government’s comprehensive preparation to support their mission and make their stay in the state worthwhile.

Briefing journalists shortly after their parade, the commander of the troop, Brig. Gen John Lar, said the men and officers were on a special mission to comb the various hideouts of criminals and bandits in their various hiding places in the forests.

Brig. Gen Lar affirmed that the activities of the military in the state would commence immediately, as he sought the cooperation of residents during the military exercise in the state to enable them to achieve the desired success.

He commended the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, for deploying additional troops to support and strengthen military activities in the state, adding that they were set to expose the hideouts of all bandits and criminals in the state.

While stressing that the military would work all days and nights to clear the forests of infiltrators, Brig. Gen. Lar disclosed that the military personnel would be swiftly deployed to their designated positions, emphasising heightened border surveillance to dismantle criminal networks operating within the forests.