Efforts to improve security in parts of Kwara State received renewed attention on Thursday as the Iru Ekun Security Network announced plans to begin operations in communities affected by banditry and kidnapping. The initiative, unveiled in Ilorin by Yoruba Nation activist Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, is intended to support existing security efforts rather than replace government agencies.

According to Adeyemo, the security outfit will first deploy operatives to Babanla and later return to Eruku, communities he identified as areas experiencing persistent security challenges. He said the objective is to deny criminal groups the use of forests as operational bases and restore confidence among residents who have faced repeated threats from armed gangs.

Speaking at the launch, Adeyemo maintained that the Iru Ekun Security Network would operate alongside the police, military and other security agencies. He said lasting progress against violent crime requires collaboration between local communities and conventional security institutions, stressing that coordinated action is essential to reducing kidnapping, banditry and related offences across the state.

He also called on residents, particularly young people, to cooperate with security agencies by providing credible information about criminal activities. According to him, armed groups often rely on support from local collaborators, making community vigilance an important part of efforts to prevent attacks and dismantle criminal networks.

Addressing concerns about the objectives of the security outfit, Adeyemo rejected claims that its operations were aimed at any ethnic group. He stated that the network’s focus is on individuals involved in criminal activities, regardless of their background, and urged residents to hand over unarmed suspects to the police instead of taking the law into their own hands.

The activist further said lawful cooperation between community-based initiatives and security agencies had produced positive results in previous operations. He commended the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, for what he described as professional support during an earlier operation along the Oyo-Kwara forest corridor, where police personnel were deployed after the command was notified.

The launch of the Iru Ekun Security Network comes at a time when communities in parts of Kwara continue to seek stronger responses to insecurity. While the outfit says it will complement official security operations, its effectiveness will depend on sustained collaboration with law enforcement agencies, community support and adherence to the rule of law in tackling violent crime.