Engr. Nurudeen Adeyemi Balogun, Member Board of Trustees of TETFUND and Founder of ENACT, has expressed deep sorrow and indignation at the horrific attack that struck Oke-Ode in Ifelodun Local Government Area on Sunday morning. The senseless act of violence claimed the lives of innocent residents, including respected community members and forest guards, while several others were abducted.
Engr. Adeyemi described the fallen forest guards, security personnel, and residents as true patriots whose sacrifices will never be forgotten.
“On behalf of myself, ENACT, and the good people of Kwara South, I salute the gallantry of our security forces who mounted a spirited resistance against the assailants. We mourn the brave forest guards and residents who lost their lives, and we pray for divine healing for the injured. Their sacrifices are priceless acts of service to humanity and to our dear nation,” Engr. Adeyemi said.
He commended the foresight of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in establishing and deploying forest guards—700 already trained with a projection to scale up to 2,600—to bolster conventional security structures. He also lauded the Nigerian Army Headquarters’ directive for the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division, Ibadan, to immediately relocate to Kwara for enhanced coordination of military response.
While mourning the loss of lives, Engr. Adeyemi echoed the Governor’s appeal for unity, urging residents to remain vigilant, avoid internal divisions, and continue to cooperate with security agencies.
“Our heroes—both fallen and living—deserve our unwavering support. Their courage reinforces our collective resolve to defeat criminality. Let us never forget that unity and resilience are the strongest weapons we have against those who seek to disrupt the peace of our land,” he added.
Engr. Adeyemi reaffirmed confidence that with increased security deployment, the scaling of the forest guards, and stronger community-government collaboration, Kwara and Nigeria will triumph over these challenges.
He extended heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, prayers for the quick recovery of the injured, and called on Almighty God to console the afflicted, strengthen Kwara with wisdom and resilience, and deliver Nigeria from the scourge of insecurity.
