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Security agencies in Ekiti State, yesterday, launched another joint operation, codenamed “Operation Comb the Bush,” as part of efforts to enhance safety and prevent criminal activities in the state.

The operation involved men and officers of the military, police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Department of State Services (DSS), Amotekun Corps, among others.

The Commissioner of Police (CP), Ekiti State Command, Falade Adegoroye, while addressing the joint patrol team at the Police Headquarters in Ado-Ekiti before the commencement of the exercise, said that the operation became necessary following intelligence reports indicating intensified security offensives against criminal elements in neighbouring Kwara, Kogi, Ondo and Osun states, as well as parts of northern Nigeria.

He noted that the pressure on the criminal groups in those areas could force them to seek refuge in the South-West, thereby posing potential threats to Ekiti State.

This, he said, necessitated the proactive move by all security agencies in the state.

Adegoroye, while describing the exercise as a proactive measure to safeguard lives and property, said that the special operation would involve coordinated bush combing, clearance of criminal hideouts, visibility policing and raids across identified flashpoints, particularly in border communities.

Adegoroye further said that the operation would help to prevent crimes, such as kidnapping, cattle rustling, vandalism and attacks on public infrastructure and worship centres, among others.

Besides, the CP said that the operation would also help to create a secure environment for farming activities by denying criminal elements access to forests and rural settlements.

He charged the officers to exhibit discipline, professionalism and respect for human rights, assuring Ekiti residents that the operation would be carried out with utmost responsibility in line with global best practices

In his remark, Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Brig.-Gen. Ebenezer Ogundana (rtd), described the operation as a proactive measure by the governor to sustain the prevailing peace and security in the state, noting that the move reflects the governor’s foresight in addressing emerging threats before they escalate, especially in view of developments in neighbouring states.

Meanwhile, a group, under the aegis of the Akure Youths Coalition, has expressed concern over the spate of insecurity in the state, particularly within the Akure axis, warning that the incidents are not isolated cases as earlier claimed but rather evidence of a dangerous pattern of insecurity that continues to spread in the state.

According to the youths, the attacks, which have been occurring unchecked in the past few months, have left families devastated and communities living in fear.

In a statement signed by its leaders, Ogundipe O’Seyi and Adekanbi Oluwatuyi, the group said that residents of the affected communities had now abandoned their homes over the situation.