For the umpteenth time, armed bandits stepped up attacks on communities in some parts of Kwara state, with the Oke-Ode community in Ifelodun local government area, being their latest victims.

The attack left in its wake 12 vigilantes and hunters dead while a sizeable number of residents were also kidnapped.

A similar attack had, four days ago, been carried out on Maganiko Ndanangi, Lafiagi Emirate, where a married woman identified as Aisha and a teenager whose name was given as Amina, were kidnapped.

While the state government is calling for the deployment of more troops to stem the tide, a former governor of the state, Senator Bukola Saraki, has told the governor, AbdulRhaman AbdulRazaq, to sit up and face governance, saying the state has never had it so bad.

 Specifically, Saraki, also a former Senate president, asked the governor to come out clean and stop living in denial over the spate of insecurity in the “State of Harmony.”

…Conflicting figures

Also, Blueprint gathered, via a telephone interview with some locals that 15 persons lost their lives, but the police put the figure at 12.  

Confirming the development, the Kwara State Police Command put the number of those killed at 12, including a community head, the Baale of Ogbayo.

It said this followed an exchange of firepower between the criminals and members of the newly trained forest guards and some members of the vigilante group in the community.

Five other persons were also reportedly abducted, when the heavily armed bandits launched a deadly assault on the community. 

Sources said the attackers, in their large numbers, invaded the agrarian community in the early hours of the fateful day, with heavy gunfire attacking the position of the guards and causing pandemonium in the peaceful community. 

The local vigilantes, it was gathered, initially repelled the attacks but were eventually overwhelmed leading to the killing of 12 persons in the deadly invasion.

The invasion came shortly after the withdrawal of military operatives from the community. 

“We don’t know why the soldiers left. Now our people are defenceless. Ten are already dead, five are kidnapped, and fear has taken over the community,” the source lamented.

…KWSG relocates medical outreach, NYSC camp

The latest incident, which is one of the series of attacks in farming and mining communities in Kwara South, forced the Kwara state government to immediately relocate its 2025 medical outreach programme from Oke-Ode General Hospital to Omupo in Irepodun local government area of the state.

Citing security concerns, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Aminat Al-Aamin, announced the relocation in a statement, Sunday.

In a statement by the ministry’s press secretary, Hamdalat Saad, the commissioner said: “The relocation was aimed at ensuring wider accessibility and improved service delivery to communities within the local government area.”

Blueprint also reports that the relocation of the medical outreach is coming barely two weeks after the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC) relocated its orientation camp from Yinkpata to Kwara state polytechnic Ilorin due to increasing activities of bandits in Kwara North where the permanent orientation camp is located. 

…Police confirm

Confirming the incident in a statement, Police Public Relations Officer, ‎SP Adetoun E Ejire-Adeyemi, said security forces and forest guards who responded swiftly to the attack, discovered 12 lifeless bodies at the scene.

“Kwara State police command informs the public of an unfortunate incident that occurred in the early hours of today, 28th September, 2025, in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun LGA of the state. ‎At about 7:00am today, armed men invaded the Ogbayo area of Oke-Ode, shooting sporadically. 

“A combined team of police operatives and members of the National Forest Security Service responded swiftly to the scene, where they discovered 12 lifeless bodies of vigilante members, including the Baale of Ogbayo.

‎”The victims sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Additionally, four persons who sustained injuries were immediately taken to Hospital for treatment, while the deceased were evacuated.

“The Kwara State Police Command, in collaboration with the military and NFSS, has intensified efforts to track down the perpetrators of these heinous crimes. Manhunt operations are ongoing and the command assures residents that those responsible will be brought to justice.

‎…Community leader laments

Expressing shock over the development, the National President of Oke-Ode Community Development Association, Alhaji Ganiyu Ajala, condemned the dastardly attack and called on the state government to up its game in the security fight.

He said: “While commending the government on the various security measures already put in place, we call for redoubling of efforts towards completely routing these undesirable elements from the Oke-Ode axis and the entire state in general.”

…Abdulrazaq mourns, begs FG

In his reaction, Governor AbdulRazaq called for increased security deployments to the state to rout the criminals involved in attacks in parts of the state. 

The governor, in a statement by his chief press secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, regretted the loss of innocent civilians and the forest guards who mounted a spirited resistance to the assailants in the early morning incident, on grounds of patriotism and love for their communities. 

“My heartfelt condolences go to the families. No word can adequately capture the depth of my sadness and nothing can compensate the bereaved families over these incidents, in spite of our efforts and the investments in oʻ and training the forest guards to bolster the conventional forces. Our people are understandably concerned about the situation, and I wholeheartedly share in this grief,” the governor said in the statement on Sunday. 

“While we appreciate the efforts and unquantifiable sacrifices of the security forces as well as the successes so far, we definitely need to do a lot more until we are completely out of the wood.

“Finally, I urge our brave residents to remain calm and avoid the temptation to turn on ourselves. I equally commend all the forest guards and the local hunters who, though lost five of their compatriots, equally neutralised several of the attackers. We will forever be grateful to all of them as our heroes”, he added.

 The statement further added that the Nigerian Army Headquarters has directed the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division in Ibadan, to immediately relocate to Kwara state to further coordinate and boost military response to the development. 

…Sit up, Saraki tells governor 

Commenting on the development, ex-Senate President Saraki accused the Kwara state government of complacency.

Saraki, who spoke weekend in Ilorin during the state Congress of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), said: “In the last 12 months, about 70 people have been reportedly killed in Kwara North and South, while about 50 people have sustained various forms of injury from the assailants.

“Within the same period, about 42 people have been kidnapped. Also, over 25 communities have been sacked as the residents abandoned their homes in the same period. Under the present government, Kwara State is becoming a one-town state as people from the northern and southern senatorial zones are converging on Ilorin to escape becoming the next victims of the spate of insecurity.

“It has never been this bad in our state, known as the State of Harmony. The state government is living in denial and trying to suppress the facts, figures, and scenarios from coming out.

“They focus on accusing the opposition, which has been alerting the Federal Government and security agencies of the danger that now lurks in our communities, of playing politics with security.”

Continuing, the former governor said: “Today, Kwara State is in a precarious state. Our state is being overrun by bandits, kidnappers, and killers who have waged a ceaseless, needless, and careless onslaught on our people.

“Yet, the government in Kwara State and all the people in governance in the state have maintained a posture of apathy, nonchalance, and a carefree attitude.

“The people in government have watched without a clue on how to stop the violence waged against our people by insurgents. Every day, the story from Kwara State in the national media is about killings, kidnappings, and the displacement of people from their communities.”

“The government in the state in a carefree manner observes in the breach the provision of Section 14 sub-section (2) (b) of the 1999 constitution which states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.

“No responsible citizen or party will play politics with the danger to the lives and livelihood of people.

“But as responsible politicians and political platforms who want to genuinely serve our people, we will not keep quiet. We will continue to alert the national and international community about the danger that daily confronts our people. We will continue to urge the people who can help to come to the rescue of the Kwara people,” he added.

On the congress, Saraki commended the Adamu Bawa-led PDP state executives, saying “this positive development is something we should all take pride in and be proud of. It confirms that we are a party with values of good leadership, organisation, and discipline.

“It is an indication that we are a party whose members are prepared to make the necessary sacrifices required to govern the state at all levels.”