A dark wave of insecurity has engulfed several communities in Kwara State, with repeated incidents of kidnapping forcing residents to abandon their homes.
This development comes amid efforts by the government and security agencies to improve the situation in the state, widely described as one of the most peaceful in the country.
Last week, some residents took to the streets in Lafiagi, Edu Local Government Area, to protest what they described as growing insecurity in the area, disrupting farming and schooling in the process.
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The situation led to the burning of the NDLEA office, cars, and motorcycles, including the vandalisation of the palace of the Emir of Lafiagi, Alhaji Kawu Kudu.
The protest was said to have been triggered by the kidnapping of three women in Kokodo and two men in Lafiagi. Military personnel and vigilantes were later deployed, leading to the rescue of one victim.
However, the police said the protest was hijacked by drug peddlers who were angry over a recent crackdown in collaboration with the emir to rid the town of their activities.
In the past few months, gunmen have laid siege to villages, highways, and towns across the state, unleashing a reign of terror that has left victims in captivity, families in agony, and security agencies stretched thin.
The attacks, mostly concentrated in Isin, Oke Ero, Edu, Baruten, Ifelodun, and Ekiti local government areas in the southern and northern parts of the state, have become more coordinated and daring despite community and government efforts and assurances.
On April 20, 2025, seven passengers travelling from Abuja to Offa in a Sienna bus were ambushed near Obbo Aiyegunle in Ekiti. The assailants marched their victims into the forest amid sporadic shootings.
Three children among them were abandoned and later reunited with their families. The victims have since regained freedom after a ransom of N50 million, according to sources.
Just six days later, on April 26, gunmen struck again at Eleyin village along the Isanlu-Isin highway in Isin. Two vehicles were stopped and their occupants whisked into the bush. A joint operation by the military and vigilantes later rescued two of the victims, Ganiyu Ajayi and Kolawole Adeyemi, while others remained in captivity.
The spate of violence continued with the abduction of Barrister Elizabeth Arinde, Head of Legal Services at Oke Ero Local Government Area, and Alhaji Musbau Amuda, Director of Personnel Management. They were seized while delivering a motorcycle to local vigilantes. Their ordeal ended in the early hours of April 29, after they regained freedom.
That same week, a high-profile warehouse attack was recorded in Agbe Ola, Irepodun, where one worker was shot dead and three others abducted during a night raid on a cashew storage facility.
Residents of Omu Aran, Obbo Aiyegunle, and Osi have reported successive attacks, with traditional rulers confirming ransom demands of up to N150million across multiple incidents.
In a dramatic twist in Oreke, Ifelodun, a father who delivered ransom to secure the release of his three kidnapped sons was himself taken captive after the sons had escaped.
The kidnappers demanded a new ransom, exceeding the original N7m, for the father's release. Police confirmed the development and launched an operation to track down the criminals.
Abduction of Chinese national, others
On June 5, 2025, the terrorists struck again when they invaded a mining site in Oreke-Okeigbo, Ifelodun, killing two police officers and abducting two workers, including a Chinese national.
Sources said they overpowered the security detail on duty in a coordinated ambush before opening fire on the officers, carting away their rifles after the deadly assault.
The police identified the slain officers as ASP Haruna Watsai and Inspector Tukur Ogah, both attached to the 45 Police Mobile Force in Abuja but on official protective assignment to safeguard the Chinese-operated mining facility. The Command's spokesperson, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, named the victims as Mr Sam Xie Wie, a Chinese investor, and Mr David Adenaiye, a Kogi State indigene working at the site.
Senior police sources confirmed that a delegation of Chinese operatives visited the scene of the crime inside the forest before returning to their country, with a promise to come back.
Honourable Ahmed Adamu Saba, the lawmaker representing Edu, Moro and Patigi in the House of Representatives, raised the alarm over the siege on his community.
Saba decried the continued wave of kidnappings and called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and security agencies to urgently intervene.
He expressed concern that his constituents can no longer sleep peacefully or go about their daily activities due to the persistent threats.
Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, in his response, condemned the abduction of the Chinese and other attacks across communities in the state. He assured the public that tactical and intelligence-led operations were already underway to rescue the victims and bring the perpetrators to justice.
He urged residents to cooperate with the police by providing credible information that could assist in the ongoing investigation.
Recently, some families of affected victims cried out over the emotional, financial and psychological toll of the prolonged captivity.
At the weekend, the security situation reached a worrying point following the mass exodus of residents from Lata Nna after heavily armed bandits stormed the communities, burning vehicles and engaging in gunfire with vigilantes. Residents fled en masse, taking refuge in neighbouring areas.
The incident followed a deadly encounter a few days earlier when the bandits dared security operatives in Gada Woro, along Patigi Road near Gbugbu, in a gun battle that left about six people dead.
According to residents, the incident began last Saturday following the abduction of a popular agrochemical dealer who had just returned from Hajj. He was taken from his home in the Taiwo area around 1am, after bandits stormed the community on motorcycles and overpowered the local vigilantes.
Another attack followed on Sunday during which a Point of Sale operator, Alhaji Yman, and another resident, Usman, were abducted. Vigilantes succeeded in rescuing only one of the victims. While the POS operator was in captivity, his family put his house, car and motorcycle up for sale on Facebook to raise the ransom for his freedom.
Residents suggested that local informants may be aiding the attackers, as several of the victims were young and well-known businessmen in the area.
In Patigi, gunmen attacked Lile village, killing some vigilantes and demanding large ransoms. In Babanla, Ifelodun Local Government Area, bandits last week reportedly invaded the palace of a traditional ruler and attempted to kidnap the Olori. Although she escaped, they went away with two girls said to be around 17 and 18 years old who are still in captivity.
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The chairman of the council, Hadji Abdulrasheed Femi Yusuf, while reacting to the incident, said the local government had embarked on a proactive and structured security intervention.
On his part, the local government chairman of Patigi, whose council is also affected, said there have been coordinated efforts between the federal, state and local governments to restore peace to the troubled communities.
Rufai, a former House of Assembly member, said there is a need for increased deployment of military personnel and security operatives to dislodge the bandits inside the forest.
On Sunday, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said he has briefed key stakeholders in the Lafiagi axis of Kwara North on the many efforts of the government to rid the areas of criminal gangs involved in violent crimes in the region.
The governor, who acknowledged the concerns of the communities, reassured them of the government-led multi stakeholders' response to the situation.
Security expert speaks
A retired police spokesperson and security consultant, Mr. Ajayi Okasanmi, called for a joint action over the security situation.
"No amount of weapons can succeed without grassroots cooperation," he warned. "Communities must stop harbouring criminals or selling land to unknown persons and traditional rulers must not act in a way that may compromise security efforts.
He also warned of internal sabotage, alleging that some insiders within the system are undermining the progress. Okasanmi urged stakeholders to embrace collective responsibility. "Security is everyone's duty. Until we accept that, lasting peace will remain elusive," he added.
