01/07/2025
Kwara's Security is Collapsing Under a Negligent and Absentee Governor
By Yusuf Olatunji Obe
In April, I wrote an article titled 'Kwara Under Siege: Insecurity Rises as Gov. Abdulrahman Looks Away', where I spoke about the disturbing state of insecurity in Kwara State under the leadership of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq. In the piece, I highlighted several security incidents that have been reported in the media in just under a year.
In the article, I made it known that the deteriorating state of insecurity in Kwara State demanded urgent attention and decisive action from the government. I called on Governor Abdulrazaq to stay at home and focus on his primary duty to guarantee security and welfare of Kwarans. I also urged him to design and implement proactive security measures and tangible actions, not just empty promises and political theatrics.
Unfortunately, it appears the governor ignored my passionate appeal as the security situation in the state has only worsened instead of improving. From brutal killings to rampant kidnappings and banditry, Kwara is fast becoming a theatre of bloodshed, fear, and lawlessness. Our communities are under siege, and the government appears both unbothered and unprepared. Two months after my initial warning, the signs are clearer than ever: Kwara’s security architecture is collapsing under the watch of a negligent and an absentee governor.
In the early hours of today (Sunday), gunmen suspected to be Fulani bandits abducted a well-known agro-chemical businessman popularly known as Alhaji Chemical in Lafiagi, Edu local government area of Kwara State. According to media reports, the assailants stormed the victim’s residence at about 1:00 a.m. Armed with sophisticated weapons, they reportedly overpowered local vigilantes on duty and forcibly whisked away Alhaji Chemical to an unknown destination.
On Tuesday, June 24, 2025, two deadly attacks were launched in Patigi local government area of the state by unidentified gunmen, leaving three people dead. According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, the attacks occurred around 1:30 a.m. in Mari and Lile villages, both in the Lade district of Patigi.
In Mari village, a 35-year-old man, Timothy Paul, was reportedly shot dead. Simultaneously, in Lile village, the assailants killed Alhaji Abdullahi Shehu (51) and his son, Abdullahi Muhammad (22). These attacks have left families shattered and communities gripped with terror.
Tragically, these were not isolated events. Barely two days earlier, a well-known businessman, Alhaji Dauda Isma’il, who had been kidnapped, was killed in Okuta, Baruten LGA. Alongside him, a local vigilante, Haruna Tasusuno, also lost his life while attempting to confront the criminals. Just yesterday, it was also reported that a 12-year-old girl, Hassana Abdullahi, was abducted from Aiyetoro Fulani Camp.
In another disturbing incident, heavily armed bandits, last Wednesday invaded Gbale community in Edu local government area of the State, where they reportedly abducted several residents of the community and in the process, murdered a member of the local vigilante groups who confronted them in the defence of his people. The whereabouts and fate of the abducted residents remain unknown.
It is both disgusting and heartbreaking to learn that bandits have reportedly demanded N200 million from the people of Lile community, where the PDP ward chairman and his son were recently killed. Even more disturbing is their threat to launch another attack if the community fails to pay the ransom. This level of audacity is alarming and underscores the dire security crisis we now face in Kwara State. What used to be distant reports from faraway northern states like Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, and Borno is now unfolding right here in our own backyard.
The pattern is chilling and consistent: no community in Kwara is safe anymore. Last month, a popular pharmacy store owner was brutally murdered in Patigi, and similar incidents have been recorded across the state with frightening frequency. Yet, the state government continues to offer the same tired rhetoric—empty promises, unfulfilled commitments, and photo-ops that have no bearing on the ground realities.
Kwarans are living in constant fear and are now crying out for help. I came across a Facebook post by an Islamic cleric and university lecturer, Dr. Sanusi Lafiagi, where he lamented the worsening state of insecurity in his community of Lafiagi and its environs. In his words: "Edu and Patigi Local Government Areas of Kwara State are under the siege of bandits. Abductions and killings have become a daily occurrence. The most recent incidents happened two days ago and yesterday which already resulted in the loss of about 5 lives and kidnap of scores of villagers. Already, over N100m have been paid for ransom in just over a month. This is a cry for help. We need help. Save our Souls."
His Facebook post is both heartbreaking and telling. It captures the growing desperation and frustration of communities that have been abandoned by those elected to protect them. While communities in Kwara North continue to grapple with rising insecurity, those in Kwara South are facing similar threats. No part of the state is safe.
It is evident that Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq is failing in his most basic constitutional responsibility: to ensure the security and welfare of the people of Kwara State. The Governor cannot continue to travel around the country chasing political validation and national relevance while his home state burns. He needs to stay at home and address this problem.
Kwarans are tired of mourning. Tired of waiting. Tired of burying their loved ones. Something drastic and urgent has got to be done. Governor Abdulrazaq must stay home and face his duty. Enough of fruitless junketing. The lives of innocent citizens should not continue to be sacrificed on the altar of political aloofness and governmental incompetence. We do not need condolences, we need action. We need leadership.
Yusuf Olatunji Obe, the Head of Strategy and Communication of The People's Voice Advocacy Network
