There is growing panic across Kwara State as farmers in several rural communities have begun abandoning their farmlands and fleeing their hometowns following persistent attacks by suspected terrorists and armed bandits in Edu, Patigi, Kaiama, and Ifelodun local government areas.
Residents who spoke with Standard Daily Press on Wednesday revealed that the wave of insecurity has not only left dozens of people killed and displaced but has also sparked fears of looming food scarcity in the state as most farmlands now lie unattended.
Standard Daily Press gathered that the communities in the Edu Local Government are the most affected. Several rice and sugarcane farmers have deserted their farms after bandits repeatedly launched attacks in the area.
Some victims recounted how the gunmen invaded their communities on motorcycles, shooting sporadically, looting shops, and abducting residents for ransom.
One resident, who identified himself as Alhaji Musa, told Standard Daily Press, “They came last week again around 10 pm. We had to run into the bush with our wives and children. Many of us have not returned home since then. We are now living in fear, and nobody is farming anymore. If this continues, hunger will finish us in Kwara.”
The story is the same in Patigi Local Government Area, where fishermen and rice farmers have also been forced to abandon their work.
Sources told Standard Daily Press that communities like Kpada, Lade, and Kusogi are fast becoming ghost towns as unrelenting terror attacks have driven residents away in fear for their lives.
A displaced farmer from Lade said, “The bandits are targeting us because they know farmers are the ones struggling to make a living from the land.
“They take our food, they kidnap our people, and demand millions we cannot pay. For months now, farming has stopped in my area. Everybody has run away.”
In Ifelodun Local Government Area, particularly in communities bordering Oke-Ode and Share, residents confirmed that armed groups have extended their attacks to local highways, ambushing travellers and cutting off food supplies.
Villagers told Standard Daily Press that many are now afraid to transport harvested produce to nearby towns out of fear of being kidnapped.
A local youth leader in Oke-Ode lamented, “It is no longer safe to go to the farm, and even if you harvest crops, you cannot transport them without being attacked. If the government does not act now, there will be famine. Farmers are the backbone of our economy, but they are running away because of insecurity.”
Kwara State has long been regarded as one of the food baskets of Nigeria, with thousands of farmers cultivating rice, maize, yam, sugarcane, and cassava across its riverine and fertile lands.
But the recent escalation of violence in Edu, Patigi, and Ifelodun threatens to cripple agricultural output in the state.
Standard Daily Press had reported how hundreds of residents in Kwara South recently abandoned their ancestral homes following a surge in kidnapping incidents, particularly in Ifelodun Local Government Area, where attacks by suspected armed bandits have become a daily occurrence.
A video obtained by Standard Daily Press four days ago showed a resident, identified as Ganiyu Babatunde, pleading with the Kwara State Government to urgently intervene and protect the people from worsening insecurity.
Communities such as Sabe, Ologomo, Alabe, and Babanla in Ifelodun Local Government Area are among the hardest hit, with families forced to flee in large numbers.
Standard Daily Press gathered that many residents, including women and children, were seen at Oke-Ode garage with their belongings, desperately seeking vehicles to convey them to safer locations.
Locals say the wave of kidnappings has left them living in fear, with many abandoning their farms, homes, and businesses as the insecurity crisis deepens.
Some of the affected people lamented that if their communities became deserted, there would be no one left for the government to govern.
They expressed frustration, explaining that if the rightful owners abandoned their ancestral homes, strangers could easily take over their heritage.
A resident, who identified himself as Babatunde, said, “Please, Kwara State Government, come to our aid. Since I have been travelling from Ajase to Oke-Ode, I have encountered more than 10 vehicles filled with people fleeing their ancestral homes with their belongings. Some of them are even coming from Babanla.”
“I’m at Oke-Ode Garage. All the vehicles here have left for Sabe community to convey people who are running away from their homes. As you can see, I’m at Oke-Ode garage right now. Some people just brought their belongings here, trying to flee,” he added.
