Residents of Kwara South under the umbrella of the Kwara South Development Forum staged a protest over escalating insecurity in the region, calling on President Bola Tinubu and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to urgently address what they described as sustained attacks on indigenous Yoruba communities.
The protesters, who marched through parts of the region, alleged that armed groups had intensified killings, kidnappings and displacement across several communities, particularly in Ifelodun, Ekiti, Oke-Ero and Irepodun local government areas.
They claimed repeated attacks had weakened local vigilante structures that once served as frontline defenders, leaving residents increasingly vulnerable.
Speaking during the demonstration, Convener of the forum, Obashola Ayomide Ridwan, said the protest was aimed at drawing urgent government attention to what he described as a worsening humanitarian and security emergency.
“Our mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers have been killed and kidnapped, while our schools have been shut down in Kwara South,” Ridwan said.
“We are demonstrating today to express our concerns to President Tinubu and Governor AbdulRazaq to empower local vigilantes and other security agencies to end the kidnapping and killings in Kwara South,” he added.
The protesters urged traditional rulers in the region to unite and press for federal intervention, warning that more indigenous communities could be overrun if urgent steps were not taken.
One of the demonstrators, Adebisi Jimoh, said repeated attacks had forced residents of Babanla and nearby communities to flee their homes.
“Our community has become deserted. Our family members have been kidnapped, and we had to raise ransom to secure their release. Many of us have been chased out of our homes,” Jimoh said.
Another protester, Sodiq Amidu, alleged that two victims, Abdullah Issa and Yusuf Ibrahim, regained freedom only after ransoms of N10 million and N5 million were paid.
“They were lucky to come back alive. Many others are not that fortunate,” he said.
Also speaking, Aleshinloye Saheed alleged that armed attackers were targeting local vigilante leaders, sometimes with support from informants.
“Our brave vigilante commanders have been killed, and our people have become vulnerable. Communities in Kwara South have been deserted as a result,” he said.
“We are calling on President Bola Tinubu and Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to take decisive and coordinated action over the incessant insecurity in Kwara South.”
Another resident, Ishola Kwara, said the response by authorities had yet to match the scale of the crisis, urging both traditional rulers and the state government to act swiftly.
Residents alleged that growing insecurity has forced schools to shut down, farmlands to be abandoned and economic activities to collapse in several communities, while many families have relocated to safer towns and neighbouring states.
Some protesters also linked the deteriorating security situation to illegal mining activities and the presence of armed groups in forested areas, which they said had become safe havens for criminal operations.
They called for urgent deployment of more security personnel, intelligence-led operations and the restructuring and empowerment of local vigilante networks to prevent a deeper humanitarian crisis in the region.
The protest adds to mounting concerns over insecurity in parts of Nigeria’s North Central region, where communities continue to grapple with abductions, violent attacks and displacement.
