Kwara State is battling a deepening security crisis as unrelenting bandits and kidnappers continue to terrorize residents, especially in the northern and southern regions. Despite the government’s ongoing efforts, communities remain trapped in fear, with attacks, abductions, and killings becoming disturbingly frequent.
Among the 16 local government areas, Ilorin East, West, South, Asa, and Moro—alongside Offa and Oyun—have largely escaped the chaos. The rest, however, particularly Edu, Patigi, Baruten, and Kaiama in the north, have become hotspots of violence, forcing villagers to abandon their homes.
Investigations by Sunday Vanguard revealed that many of the bandits, believed to be herdsmen from Zamfara and Sokoto, infiltrated Kwara through Niger State and have operated from thick forests for nearly three decades. Working hand in hand with local informants, they’ve turned kidnapping into a thriving business, extorting huge ransoms and leaving families financially broken.
In Edu LGA alone, multiple attacks have rocked villages like Kpanpkanragi, Gamalegi, and Tsaragi, where gunmen abducted residents, killed a newlywed, and stole herds of cattle. Similar tragedies have unfolded in Patigi and Kaiama, with several villagers kidnapped or killed while farming.
The situation worsened in September when bandits struck Babanla community in Ifelodun LGA—just days after Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s visit—abducting two residents. Locals say the trauma has left families raising millions in ransom payments, often selling assets or borrowing money to free their loved ones.
“No sane person will fold arms when kidnappers demand ransom,” lamented former NLC chairman Emmanuel Ayeoribe, who once contributed funds to rescue a friend. “Many lives and businesses have been ruined in the process.”
Governor AbdulRazaq has intensified efforts to stem the tide, supplying logistics and vehicles to security agencies and calling for more military presence. Yet, with bandits growing bolder, the state was forced to close some cattle markets and relocate the NYSC camp from Edu to Ilorin for safety.
The crisis hit a horrifying peak last Sunday in Oke-Ode, where gunmen massacred 11 forest guards and a community head. Survivors accused the government of ignoring prior intelligence and withdrawing the DSS-backed weapons that could have saved the victims.
A viral video from the scene showed a grieving woman crying over her slain husband, alleging that the DSS had disarmed vigilantes days before the attack. The state government, however, refuted the claim, insisting no such disarmament took place.
Meanwhile, coordinated airstrikes by the Nigerian Air Force reportedly killed several terrorists, including a notorious kidnapper known as Maiwada, near the Kwara–Kogi border.
To boost local defenses, over 800 vigilantes were recently trained in Ilorin on modern security tactics. Yet, many of them still operate without access to automatic weapons—leaving them at a disadvantage against bandits armed with AK-47s.
Security experts warn that since state governments don’t control the military or police, Kwara’s hands remain tied. Still, Governor AbdulRazaq has vowed to keep fighting. “Kwara will not be a hiding place for criminals,” he declared after a recent security meeting in Ilorin.
For now, residents across Kwara North and South continue to live on edge—haunted by fear, bound by survival, and praying that peace will someday return to the state of harmony.
