Kwara Descends into Chaos, Federal Government Must Declare State of Emergency Now

T The deepening crisis of insecurity in Kwara State has reached a dangerous crescendo, with both Ifelodun Local Government Area and several parts of Kwara North now reeling from repeated, violent attacks. Heavily armed bandits are killing, kidnapping, and displacing innocent citizens, while local security structures, especially vigilante groups, have been systematically overpowered and rendered helpless.

In Ifelodun, the towns of Oke-Ode, Shagbe, Oreke, and Babanla have all come under violent assaults. In Oke-Ode, a gruesome reprisal attack at Gaa Fulani claimed three lives, including one victim burnt alive, with homes razed and others injured. Prior to that, armed men abducted over a dozen market women and a toddler along the Ajase-Ipo/Oke-Ode road. Although some were rescued, the trauma lingers without any form of sustainable government response. In Shagbe, residents now live in constant terror due to frequent kidnappings, extortion, and armed robbery. Travel at night has become impossible, and many locals have fled their homes. Oreke-Oke was struck in early June when bandits attacked a mining site, killed two mobile police officers, abducted two individuals, and made away with service weapons after demanding a ransom of one billion naira. These incidents paint a picture of utter lawlessness, where communities are left exposed without adequate protection. The horror in Babanla is still fresh. On June 30, gunmen on motorcycles stormed the town, abducted two teenage girls, and attempted to kidnap the wife of the community’s monarch. The attackers fired into the air and escaped after an exchange of gunfire with local hunters. The girls remain in captivity, and fear has gripped the town.

In Kwara North, the scale of violence is even more alarming. In Lata Nna, Kokodoko, and Gada in Edu Local Government Area, bandits ambushed local vigilantes returning from patrol, killed many, and burned their vehicles. Residents fled deep into the forest and neighboring communities. On June 30, several more were injured in Gada Woro during another broad daylight attack. In Patigi Local Government, Alhaji Abdullahi Kpotun and his son were killed by bandits during a kidnap attempt in Lile village, while another man, Timothy Paul, was murdered in Mari. The attackers later contacted the bereaved families and demanded a ransom of two hundred million naira. Markets such as Gbugbu are becoming deserted. Families are abandoning their farms, schools are closing, and the local economy is collapsing. What was once considered rural resilience is now becoming rural extinction.

Across all these incidents, one fact is consistent: the local vigilante forces, our last line of defense, have been brutally overrun. Their vehicles have been torched, their weapons seized, and their members killed or injured. These attackers are not ragtag criminals. They operate with military precision, sophisticated arms, and unchallenged confidence.

The time has come for honest recognition of the truth. Kwara State is not safe. It is under coordinated and widespread security collapse. The silence and half-hearted responses from those in power, especially the state government, only embolden these criminals.

We therefore call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government of Nigeria to immediately declare a state of emergency on security in Kwara State. This declaration must come with the deployment of a joint task force comprising the Nigerian Army, the Police, Civil Defence, and the Department of State Services to reclaim the forests, flush out the bandits, and restore order. There must be a full federal takeover of security operations in Edu, Patigi, Ifelodun, and other high-risk local governments. Local vigilantes and hunters should be equipped with modern weapons and tactical support, as they are most familiar with the terrain. There is an urgent need for rapid response bases in Oke-Ode, Lata, and Gbugbu, backed by air surveillance, drone technology, and actionable intelligence. Rescue operations for those currently in captivity must begin without delay. An immediate audit of how these criminals entered Kwara undetected should also be carried out, and those responsible for intelligence failures must be held accountable.

The Kwara State Government cannot continue to look the other way. The governor must return from Abuja and face the situation he was elected to manage. His absence and lack of decisive leadership are unacceptable. The State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Yakubu Danladi, must stop functioning like a ceremonial gathering and start defending the people who elected them. They must summon security chiefs, demand full disclosure, and insist on actionable solutions.

To the people of Kwara, your pain is legitimate, your fears are justified, and your resilience is inspiring. But we must not be silent. We must raise our voices, demand accountability, and press for immediate and meaningful intervention. We cannot allow our communities to descend into chaos while leaders remain passive. Our lives, our land, and our dignity are worth defending.

The time for promises is over. The time for action is now. Kwara deserves better, and the people demand it.

Kwara Alternative