Ilorin, Kwara State — The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has ordered troops under the Joint Task Force North Central to intensify ongoing military operations against bandits, kidnappers, and other armed criminal groups operating across the region.
The directive was issued during his operational visit to the Headquarters of the Joint Task Force North Central, operating under Operation Savannah Shield, located at the Sobi Barracks in Ilorin.
Addressing commanders and frontline troops, the Army Chief charged them to sustain aggressive clearance operations aimed at dislodging criminal elements from forests and remote hideouts believed to be used as operational bases by bandit groups.
He emphasized the need for continuous pressure on armed groups to prevent them from regrouping or carrying out coordinated attacks on rural communities across the North Central region.
The COAS also directed troops to strengthen surveillance and expand offensive operations in affected states, including Kwara, Niger, Benue, and Plateau, where cases of kidnapping and armed attacks have remained persistent.
