Kwara: CDS Flags Off Operation Savannah Shield, Vows Crackdown on Terrorists

Operation Savannah Shield was started by the Nigerian military to take down kidnapping syndicates and terrorist networks in Kwara and neighboring Niger State.

The joint task force was operationalized in the 22 Brigade, Sobi Military Cantonment, Ilorin, by Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Defense Staff.

Oluyede warned that “forested enclaves and ungoverned spaces hitherto exploited by terrorists will no longer serve as safe havens,” characterizing the mission as a purposeful effort to deny criminals freedom of action.

According to him, troops would carry out protracted clearance operations to safeguard people, property, and important agricultural areas.

Noting that security is still a shared duty, the defense chief also emphasized improved interagency cooperation and called on local leaders and citizens to supply reliable intelligence. He stated that activities in the combined region will be supervised by Major General Yakubu Yahaya, the Theatre Commander.

Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq expressed optimism that the operation will boost farming activities and rebuild public confidence, calling the deployment “timely” in light of growing security concerns in some areas of the state.

Senior security officials and other stakeholders attended the launch, which military officials said demonstrated a concerted national effort to combat insecurity.