Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has inaugurated a high-powered, cabinet-level security committee, tagged "Safer Kwara", to develop short- and long-term strategies to tackle rising security challenges across the state.

This development comes just days after gunmen attacked a branch of the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, a boundary town in the Ekiti Local Government Area, killing a pastor and abducting 38 worshippers, and the subsequent abduction of 11 residents in the nearby Isapa community.

Committee Mandate and Composition

The committee, which is led by Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi, has been mandated to engage stakeholders and propose measures to enhance the safety of lives and property.

According to a statement released Tuesday by the Governor's Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, the panel's membership includes key government and security officials:

• Chairman: Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi
• Secretary: Mrs. Olufunke Mercy Shittu (Office of the Head of Service)

Members include:

• Special Adviser on Security Matters, Brigadier-General Saliu Tunde Bello
• Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development, Abdullahi Bata
• Senior Special Assistant on Security, Muhyideen Aliu
• Special Assistant on Security, Moshood Gobir
• One local government chairperson from each of the three senatorial districts.

The committee will hold consultations with traditional rulers, community leaders, and other key stakeholders to design practical and sustainable solutions tailored to local realities.

Governor AbdulRazaq emphasized that the panel's findings will strengthen the government's response by offering insights from communities directly affected by security issues.

"The committee will submit its report to the Governor within four weeks. Its recommendations will provide a local perspective on the wider security situation in the country," Ajakaye said.