Days after a strategic closed-door meeting between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Senator representing Oyo North Senatorial District, Senator Buhari AbdulFatai, Ph.D, the Federal Government has approved the construction and establishment of the 169 Motorcycle Battalion for Esin-Ele in Oriire Local Government Area of Ogbomoso.
The approval marks a decisive victory for the Soun of Ogbomosoland, Senator Buhari, and the entire people of Ogbomoso and Oke-Ogun, who have been clamouring for enhanced federal security presence. The journey to this historic security intervention started when tragedy struck in Esin-Ele and Yawota communities in Oriire Local Government, where pupils and teachers were kidnapped, sparking national outrage.
In swift response, President Tinubu dispatched a high-powered Federal Government delegation led by his Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, which included the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, Inspector-General of Police and other top security chiefs.
During the visit to Ogbomoso, the delegation announced the approval of 1,000 forest guards for Oyo State in collaboration with the state government to boost grassroots security and secure the release of the abducted victims. It was at that meeting that Senator Buhari AbdulFatai, who was among the top dignitaries who received the delegation alongside traditional rulers, made a bold and strategic demand: a full military formation in Esin-Ele, Ogbomoso to permanently secure the vulnerable corridor. The request received the full backing and support of the Soun of Ogbomosoland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, Orumogege III.
The request was escalated few days ago when Senator Buhari met President Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa. Speaking in an interview on Arise TV after the meeting, Senator Buhari revealed that he made two key requests before President Tinubu in the presence of a witness, the Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS),Dr Zacch Adedeji:
1. Approval for a military formation in Esin-Ele, Ogbomoso, and
2. A Federal Medical Hospital for Oke-Ogun.
According to the Senator, both requests are critical steps towards improving healthcare delivery, strengthening security infrastructure and enhancing the operational capacity of security personnel in Oyo North Senatorial District. Senator Buhari disclosed that President Tinubu immediately noted and graciously approved the requests before he left the Villa.
Fulfilling the President’s promise, a delegation of senior officers of the Nigerian Army, led by retired Major General Olabanji, alongside Major General Audu, Major General Danja, and the Commandant of the Nigerian Army Training Centre, Ogbomoso on Monday visited the Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye at his palace in Ogbomoso.
The visit was to formally inform the monarch and commence groundwork for the take-off of the new battalion. Security experts note that the 169 Motorcycle Battalion is a specially configured, highly mobile rapid-response unit designed for difficult terrains like the Esin-Ele forest corridor. Its establishment will drastically reduce response time, dismantle kidnapping routes, and provide permanent military deterrence in Oriire and the wider Ogbomoso zone.
For Ogbomoso, this is more than a security post. It is an economic and institutional win that will bring barracks infrastructure, jobs, commercial activities and federal presence to the ancient city. With this approval, Senator Buhari AbdulFatai has once again proven that effective representation is not about noise on the floor of the Senate, but about strategic engagement and results for the people.
The people of Ogbomoso have hailed the synergy between the Soun of Ogbomosoland and Senator Buhari as visionary leadership that has finally put Ogbomoso on the national security map under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
