The Oodua Integrity Group has called for the immediate establishment of a Mobile Police Squadron in Shiya, Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, to tackle rising insecurity and cross-border crimes.
The group commended the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, for what it described as successes recorded against kidnapping, banditry and insurgency in parts of Kwara State.
Speaking during an interactive session, the group’s Security Liaison Officer, Ajayi Olawale, said the proposed Mopol base had become necessary because fleeing criminal elements were allegedly using the Shiya border corridor through Sendiro to escape into neighbouring countries including Burkina Faso and Mali.
Olawale said, “The bold initiative of the IG is commendable and deserves emulation. Insecurity in the country must be tackled through permanent security structures capable of responding swiftly to terrorist invasions.”
He added that the Shiya axis remained vulnerable due to its strategic location linking Nigeria with the Benin Republic, stressing that the area could become a safe haven for non-state actors if urgent security measures were not put in place.
The group also appealed to the police authorities to sustain directives against impunity within the Force, noting that such reforms had helped improve policing in Kwara State.
According to him, some residents of Shiya allegedly suffered harassment and repeated arrests during the now-resolved chieftaincy dispute in the community.
“The earlier directive of the IG against impunity has helped the Kwara State Police Command to live up to expectations. Officers should not continue tormenting innocent residents over issues already put to rest,” he said.
The group further urged the police chief to personally visit the area or delegate senior officers to conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the security situation.
It warned that many ungoverned spaces across the country were still being exploited by terrorists and criminal gangs, insisting that stronger security presence along border communities remained critical to national safety.
