Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Stakeholders in Kwara North Senatorial District have accused the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of failing to contain a devastating wave of banditry and terrorism, claiming that more than 1,200 residents have been killed since he assumed office in 2023. The Kwara North Development Commission (KNDC), which represents prominent elders and community leaders across the district, issued the stark assessment in a statement on Tuesday, 2 June 2026. The group described the security situation as a “near-total collapse” and warned that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) could face significant electoral backlash in the 2027 general elections if urgent federal intervention is not forthcoming.
The KNDC’s statement painted a grim picture of life across the five local government areas of Baruten, Kaiama, Edu, Patigi and Moro – a region once celebrated as the food basket of Kwara State. According to the group, persistent attacks by armed bandits and terrorists have displaced thousands, crippled the local economy, and forced farmers to abandon their fields. “Our people are living in fear. Entire communities have been sacked. More than 1,200 lives have been lost and many of our sons, daughters, wives and husbands are still being held captive by terrorists and bandits,” the statement read, signed by KNDC National President Alhaji Abdullahi Manzuma and Publicity Secretary Hajia Zainab Seko. The group lamented that agriculture, the mainstay of the district’s economy, had suffered immensely. “Farmers can no longer access their farmlands safely, while buyers and traders are unwilling to come into the region because of security concerns. As a result, farm produce is wasting away.”
The crisis has not only devastated the local economy but has also begun to erode long‑standing cultural and social traditions. The KNDC noted that for the first time in the region’s history, many indigenes refused to return home during the last festive celebrations for fear of attacks. “Many of our children refused to come home during the last festive celebrations because they were afraid for their safety. This is unprecedented and speaks volumes about the gravity of the situation,” the statement said. The group specifically referenced the recent attack on the Emir’s Palace in Yashikira, Baruten LGA, where gunmen abducted some of the Emir’s wives, his children, and several other residents before setting part of the palace ablaze – an incident that symbolises the breakdown of security even in the district’s most traditional institutions.
While the stakeholders acknowledged that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s administration has made efforts to address the challenge, they insisted that the constitutional responsibility for securing lives and property lies squarely with the Federal Government. “We recognise that the Kwara State Government is doing its best within the limits of its constitutional powers. However, the buck stops on the table of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the Commander‑in‑Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the KNDC stated. The group further argued that the worsening insecurity had transcended local concerns and now constituted a national security emergency requiring decisive federal intervention.
The political implications of the crisis were not lost on the stakeholders. In a pointed warning to the APC, the KNDC said that continued insecurity could make it nearly impossible for the party to mobilise support in the district ahead of the 2027 elections. “You cannot expect a mother who lost her son to bandit attacks or a farmer who can no longer access his farmland because of terrorists to be interested in political campaigns. Right now, survival is the concern of our people,” the statement read. “It will be difficult to campaign to people whose loved ones have been murdered, whose family members are still in captivity and whose livelihoods have been destroyed by insecurity.”
The KNDC called on President Tinubu to deploy additional security personnel and resources to the district, stressing that restoring peace would not only save lives but also revive agricultural production and economic activities critical to the region and the nation’s food security. “We urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the father of the nation, to rise to this challenge and take immediate steps to protect our communities from terrorism and banditry. The people of Kwara North have always been peace‑loving and hardworking. They do not deserve this level of suffering and neglect.”
The statement came as the Presidency, through the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North‑Central), Dr. Abiodun Essiet, advised Nigerians to avoid night travel and exercise heightened vigilance on major routes across the North‑Central region. Essiet urged travellers to schedule trips during daylight hours and called on transport operators to consider suspending night trips until security conditions improve.
As of Wednesday, 3 June 2026, the KNDC’s allegations had not been officially refuted by the Federal Government. The group’s appeal underscores the deepening sense of abandonment felt by rural communities that have borne the brunt of Nigeria’s banditry crisis while waiting for a rescue that, for many, has not yet arrived.
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