Kwara Group Urges Federal Government to Declare State of Emergency Over Insecurity

A civic group known as Kwara Alternative has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in Kwara State, citing a worsening security situation marked by violent attacks, kidnappings, and the collapse of local defenses.

In a statement released Saturday, the group warned that the crisis has reached alarming levels, particularly in Ifelodun Local Government and several areas in Kwara North, where communities have come under repeated assaults by armed bandits.

“In towns like Oke-Ode, Shagbe, Oreke, and Babanla, heavily armed attackers are killing, kidnapping, and displacing innocent civilians,” the group stated. “Local security outfits, especially vigilante groups, have been overwhelmed, with many of their members killed or injured.”

The group detailed recent attacks including a deadly reprisal in Oke-Ode’s Gaa Fulani community, where three people were killed—one of them burned alive—and homes were destroyed. Earlier, over a dozen market women and a toddler were abducted along the Ajase-Ipo/Oke-Ode road. Although some were rescued, the trauma persists amid a lack of sustained government response.

In Shagbe, the group reported a climate of fear due to rampant kidnappings and armed robbery, while in Oreke-Oke, two police officers were killed during a bandit attack on a mining site in June. Two civilians were also abducted, with the assailants demanding a N1 billion ransom.

The situation is equally dire in Kwara North. In Edu LGA, bandits ambushed and killed several vigilantes in Lata Nna, Kokodoko, and Gada, burning their vehicles. Similar violence erupted in Gada Woro on June 30. In Patigi LGA, bandits murdered Alhaji Abdullahi Kpotun, his son, and another man, Timothy Paul, during a failed abduction in separate incidents. A ransom of N200 million was later demanded from grieving families.

Markets like Gbugbu are now deserted, schools are shutting down, and farming activity is in sharp decline. “What was once considered rural resilience is now becoming rural extinction,” the group warned.

Kwara Alternative noted a common pattern across these incidents: vigilante groups, often the last line of defense, are being systematically outgunned and incapacitated. “These attackers are not disorganized criminals,” the group said. “They operate with military precision, using sophisticated weaponry, and face little to no resistance.”

The group accused the state government of inaction and called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene decisively.

“Kwara is not safe. There is a coordinated security collapse. The time has come for a federal emergency declaration,” the statement read. “A joint task force comprising the Nigerian Army, Police, Civil Defence, and DSS must be deployed to reclaim forests and restore order in Edu, Patigi, Ifelodun, and other affected LGAs.”

The group also called for immediate equipping of local vigilantes with modern arms and tactical support, the establishment of rapid response bases in key areas like Oke-Ode, Lata Nna, and Gbugbu, and the use of drones and air surveillance to monitor and disrupt bandit operations.

It further demanded immediate rescue operations for those still in captivity and a full investigation into how armed groups have been operating undetected in the state. “There must be accountability for intelligence failures,” the group stressed, urging the Kwara State Government to take a more proactive stance.

“To the people of Kwara, your pain is real, your fear is valid, and your courage is admirable. But silence is not an option. We must demand immediate action to defend our lives, our land, and our future,” the statement concluded.