Kwara: Residents protest against insecurity

Residents of Kwara South, under the aegis of the Kwara South Development Forum, on Friday took to the streets in protest, raising alarm over what they described as a worsening security crisis overwhelming indigenous Yoruba communities in the region.

The protesters alleged that armed groups, which they repeatedly described as terrorists, are gradually taking control of several communities, carrying out sustained attacks marked by killings, kidnappings and the displacement of entire populations.

They claimed that the repeated assaults are systematically weakening local security structures, particularly vigilante groups that once served as the first line of defence, and called on President Bola Tinubu and Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to urgently intervene.

Speaking during the protest, the convener of the forum, Obashola Ayomide Ridwan, said: “Our mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers have been killed and kidnapped, while our schools have been shut down in Kwara South.

“We are demonstrating today to express our concerns to President Tinubu and Governor AbdulRazaq to empower local vigilantes and other security agencies to end the kidnapping and killings in Kwara South.”

The group also urged traditional rulers across Kwara South to close ranks and collectively push for federal intervention, warning that failure to act swiftly could result in the loss of more indigenous communities to armed elements.

One of the protesters, Adebisi Jimoh, described how repeated attacks have forced residents of Babanla and surrounding settlements to flee. Punch