A severe security crisis has gripped Kwara State, particularly the Oke-Ode community and surrounding villages, following a series of deadly armed attacks that have left residents dead, displaced, and deeply suspicious of government efforts. The violence is compounded by shocking claims of security force inadequacy and a state government media scandal.
The Crisis on the Ground: Eyewitness Accounts of Massacres
Tension remains critically high in the Oke-Ode community as residents flee their homes. The latest spate of violence was confirmed by the Kwara State Police Command, which initially reported that 12 vigilante members, including the Baale (Community leader) of Ogbayo, were killed during an armed invasion on Sunday morning.
Eyewitness accounts, however, paint a more harrowing picture and level direct accusations against authorities. A distraught woman, lamenting the killing of her husband, Ishola, and his brother, claimed the attackers killed a total of 14 persons, including 10 vigilantes.
“They have killed my husband, I have no one… Kwara state government, they have killed my husband.” The woman shockingly accused security agencies of partisanship: “The Department of State Services gave guns to Miyetti Allah after collecting guns from Yoruba Vigilantes.”
The violence has extended to other areas, including Patigi Local Government Area, where bandits abducted two sons of a youth leader in Essanti village in a brazen daylight attack. The attackers reportedly confessed to the victims that the kidnapping was intended to intimidate residents who had begun fleeing the community, aiming to “reduce the need for further night invasions.”
Security Breakdown: “Superior Weapons” and Abandonment
Community leaders and residents accuse security personnel of failing to protect them, suggesting the state’s security apparatus has been compromised or outmatched.
Community leaders lamented that security forces deployed after the attacks, including the Nigerian Army and DSSoperatives, openly admitted they were unable to confront the gunmen.
“The residents said the security personnel and the SSS officials said they could not enter the bush to confront these terrorists,” a community leader stated in a viral video. “They said they did not give them the order to enter the bush. And that even the weapons the terrorists are using are superior to their own. So, the security operatives only paraded Oke-Ode town and left.”
This perceived abandonment has led to desperate calls for intervention from all tiers of government, with residents pleading: “Tell him that this issue of insecurity is now beyond what we will be playing with.”
Propaganda Scandal: Falsified Airstrike Images
Amid the escalating fear, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has been accused of downplaying the severity of the crisis through a deceptive media campaign.
The Governor’s Senior Special Assistant on New Media, Olayinka Fafoluyi (Solace), posted images on social media, claiming they represented recent “multiple airstrikes” conducted by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) against bandits in the troubled Kwara communities, describing them as a major deterrent to further attacks.
However, a fact-check revealed that the images were not from Kwara State. The photographs were traced back to a NAF operation that took place in Borno State in October 2024, targeting Boko Haram terrorists under Operation HADIN KAI.
The circulation of these old, falsified images has fueled public anger, leading to accusations that the state government is prioritizing propaganda and downplaying the security crisis rather than dedicating genuine resources to protecting lives and property.
Reactions from X captures the frustrations of Nigerians
For marketing and advertising, or publishing your promotional content, contact us at [email protected]
