Kwara residents have taken to the streets to demand urgent actions from Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq-led government as rampaging terrorists unleash terror on communities and kidnap innocent citizens on daily basis.
In a video circulating online on Friday, a group of aggrieved residents in Idofian Odo-Ase in Ifelodun LGA decried the rate at which terrorists and bandits wreak havoc on the community on a daily basis.
The protesters, who carried placards with different inscriptions, demanded the government to genuinely intervene and stop the killings.
One of the protesters said, “Come to our aid. Terrorists are killing us and destroying our properties on a daily basis. It is tiring. We are no longer safe.”
Another protester, who stated that terrorists had killed their children, stated, “Odo Ase is completely deserted. Our children, family members, have been killed.”
In a separate video, a female protester lamented endless killings and abductions in several communities in Kwara, calling on President Bola Tinubu to step up actions and safeguard the state.
“Are some of us from Kwara State, Oro-Ago, no longer parts of Nigeria? Terrorists are killing us everyday, making life very difficult for all of us. Don’t let our communities become empty. People are dying. On Sunday, they kidnapped people. We’re not animals. President Tinubu should intervene, please.
“Bandits also demanded N1 billion. Where can we see that? The funniest part is that terrorists are not entering hourses to kill and kidnap people. Where are these people seeing sophisticated weapons and petrol? Are the government not supplying them these materials? And you’re saying you want to contest elections,” the protester stated.
The latest protest came hours after terrorists demanded N1 billion to release kidnapped worshippers of the Evangelical Church Winning Allin Omugo community last Sunday.
Killings and kidnappings for ransom had worsened in Kwara, especially in Edu, Patigi, Ifelodun and other rural communities, forcing residents to flee their homes in search of safety elsewhere. Last month, terrorists invaded Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama LGA, killing over 200 citizens while kidnapping several others.
The dastardly attacks followed terrorists’ invasion of a church in Eruku, Ekiti LGA of the state last year, where several worshippers were kidnapped, drawing widespread condemnation from the international community.
Police spokesperson SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, did not reply to a request for comments on strategies by the security agencies to secure affected communities and rescue kidnap victims.
Chief press secretary to Mr Abdulrazaq, Rafiu Ajakaye, could not be immediately reached for comment on Kwara government’s efforts to protect the locals.
