The Chairman of Ifelodun Local Government in Kwara State, Hadji AbdulRasheed Yusuf, has disclosed that more than 98 per cent of those kidnapped in the Southern part of the state are Fulani, and not Yorubas as generally assumed.

Yusuf made the revelation while featuring on the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Correspondents’ Chapel “Newskeg” programme held at the council secretariat in Ilorin.

According to him, the situation became a major concern after security agencies confirmed to the council authorities that the overwhelming majority of kidnapping victims in the area were Fulani.

The council chairman noted that intelligence reports showed that informants frequent cattle markets at night to pass information to criminal gangs.

He explained that the seven council chairmen in the Kwara South senatorial district had initially resolved to shut down all cattle markets but later reversed the decision.

He stressed that the Initial closure was not a mistake and that the reversal was not due to pressure but based on further security assessment.

“We shut cattle markets when we noticed that informants were using the markets to exchange information with bandits. When we did that, we were able to cut down the practice,” he said.

Yusuf added that the markets were eventually reopened with strict monitoring, limiting their activities to between 6 am and 6 pm daily.

He lamented that virtually everyone in Ifelodun had become an informant for bandits, making it difficult to know who to trust.

Speaking on his achievements to mark his one year in office, the council chairman said his administration had taken several steps to strengthen security.

He listed the employment and training of 100 forest guards, the provision of 20 motorcycles for local security outfits, the distribution of 50 bulletproof vests, and the supply of modern security gadgets among others.

He added that the forest guards had also been enrolled in the state health insurance scheme.

Yusuf further explained that the council institutionalised a non-indigene registration drive to create accurate data of all residents, while traditional rulers were issued identity cards and official plate numbers to enhance community monitoring.

He further linked insecurity in Ifelodun to poor road infrastructure, noting that kidnappers exploited bad roads to carry out their operations.

“When we began opening up roads, they attacked because free movement of traffic would obstruct their activities and allow vigilance members and security agencies to close in on them,” he said.

The council chairman urged all stakeholders in the state not to politicize the issue of insecurity but join hands in prayer for lasting peace and harmony.

He commended the traditional council for collaborating with the government to chase away non-state actors from their communities and assured that his administration would focus more on transformative projects in road construction, education, healthcare, and security as he entered his second year in office. (Daily Trust)

•Ifelodun LGA Chairman, Hadji AbdulRasheed