At least 12 forest guards, vigilantes and residents have been killed by bandits in two local government areas of Kwara State, despite what locals say were multiple early warnings to security operatives.
The attacks in the early hours of Sunday in Oke-Ode (Ifelodun LGA) and Tsaragi (Edu GA) exposed the growing vulnerability of rural defence structures amid Nigeria’s faltering decentralised security strategy, which increasingly relies on local hunters and volunteer guards to plug policing gaps.
Residents said newly recruited forest guards — part of Kwara State’s community security initiative launched in 2023 — were among the first targets.
Unconfirmed death tolls from various local sources range from 12 to over 15, including prominent figures in Oke-Ode such as Oji, Saheed Metubi and Baale Ógba Ayo.
At least four members of the same family were also reported to have been abducted during the attack.
“We had been alerting the authorities since Saturday night that strange movements were noticed,” said a local vigilante leader, Mr Ajetunmobi, accusing security agencies of ignoring distress calls. “They still came and attacked us, starting with the duty post.”
Mobile phone footage circulating online shows bodies of slain guards lined on the roadside — a chilling reflection of the human cost of rural communities defending themselves in the absence of a rapid state response.
Just hours before the Oke-Ode attack, gunmen stormed Tsaragi in Edu LGA, abducting a local businessman, Suleiman ‘Manager’ Ndana, after firing shots into the air to disperse neighbours.
Mr Ndana had recently opened a fuel station near Yana Kokonna, prompting speculation that he was specifically targeted.
The latest incidents follow a string of kidnappings across Kwara in recent days. In Omu Aran on Saturday, a driver was reportedly shot dead, and four passengers were marched into the forest.
It was also reported that at Lafiagi Emirate four days ago, a woman, Aisha Gogo, and a 16-year-old girl, Amina, were abducted during a midnight raid.
Like many northern states, Kwara has invested in forest guards, hunters, vigilantes and community policing volunteers to support formal forces battling armed groups across the North-West and North-Central regions.
However, security experts warn that such groups become first responders and first casualties without proper intelligence coordination and equipment.
The state, which had earlier launched Operation Harmony and equipped local groups with motorcycles and basic firearms, is now facing scrutiny over whether it deployed lightly armed civilians into hostile zones without adequate backup.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq condemned the killings and requested immediate military reinforcement, saying the Chief of Army Staff has ordered the GOC 2 Division in Ibadan to temporarily relocate to Kwara to coordinate operations.
“My heartfelt condolences go to the families of the victims,” he said in a statement.
“Nothing can compensate for the bereaved, in spite of our efforts and investment in training forest guards.”
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The Oke-Ode Community Development Association, led by Ganiyu Ajala, urged authorities to go beyond condolences.
“We commend the government for initial steps taken, but we demand complete dislodgement of these criminal elements,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Kwara State Ministry of Health has relocated its medical outreach from Oke-Ode to Omupo Cottage Hospital, citing safety concerns — effectively confirming that even social services can no longer operate in affected communities.
Police spokesperson Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi confirmed the incidents but said a comprehensive report would only be issued after receiving field assessments from divisional commands.
