The Kwara South Development Forum has expressed concerns over worsening insecurity across communities in Kwara South Senatorial District, accusing both the Kwara State and the Nigerian government of abandoning residents as several towns become deserted due to incessant attacks by suspected terrorists.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by the Acting Speaker of the forum, Obashola Ayomide Ridwan, the group said residents of the region have been left to face persistent killings, kidnappings and attacks without adequate protection from security agencies
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The forum recalled that traditional rulers in the region had increasingly become targets of terrorists, citing the killing of the traditional ruler of Koro town in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, Oba Segun Aremu-Cole, who was murdered by gunmen in February 2024.
According to the group, the killing of the monarch marked the beginning of a frightening trend in which royal fathers and community leaders in the region are being hunted by terrorists.
“We our traditional rulers have been victims of insecurity in Kwara South,” the statement said.
“It would be recalled that terrorists killed the traditional ruler of Koro town in the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, Oba Segun Aremu-Cole, in February 2024.
“Also, terrorists have abducted another traditional ruler, Oba Bayagan, in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.”
The forum further detailed another disturbing incident that occurred at the beginning of 2026 when armed men struck again in the region.
“On January 1, 2026, gunmen suspected to be terrorists abducted the Oniwo of Afin, Oba Simeon Olanipek, alongside one of his sons, Olaolu, in the Ile-Ire district of Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State,” the statement added.
The group also raised concerns over attacks on places of worship, revealing that churches in the region have not been spared by the violent groups.
According to the forum, terrorists recently invaded churches in Eruku and Omugo communities, where worshippers were abducted during the attacks.
The Kwara South Development Forum said the repeated attacks have forced many families to flee their ancestral homes, while others have sold their properties to raise ransom for abducted relatives.
“Many families have sold out their properties to pay ransom, yet several victims remain in captivity,” the statement said.
“Over 20 communities in Kwara South have been deserted as residents flee their homes for safety, while the government appears unconcerned about the killings and kidnappings happening across the region.”
The forum also lamented the growing number of casualties among local vigilante members who have been attempting to defend their communities against terrorists despite lacking modern weapons and support.
“Our local vigilantes have become victims of insecurity themselves. While defending their father’s land, many of them have been killed because they do not have adequate weapons to confront terrorists who are armed with sophisticated weapons like AK-47 rifles,” the group stated.
The forum cited recent incidents where vigilantes lost their lives during confrontations with the attackers.
“In Oke Oyan last week, we lost two vigilantes. Last year in Ìgbàjá, we also lost a powerful vigilante commander who went to confront terrorists that had been terrorising Kwara South communities,” the statement added.
The group further accused security agencies in Kwara State of negligence and failure to act on intelligence reports that could have prevented some of the attacks.
The allegation was disclosed by community leader Elder Oyin-Zubair, who reportedly revealed that the Joint Security Watch had earlier alerted authorities about potential attacks in parts of the district.
According to the forum, the warnings were ignored.
“Security agencies were earlier notified about imminent attacks in three local government areas within Kwara South, but the warnings were allegedly ignored,” the group said.
The forum said residents of the region now feel abandoned by authorities despite the severity of the security crisis.
“We are aggrieved residents who feel neglected. Our people have been kidnapped repeatedly, and many are still in the captivity of terrorists because ransom has not yet been paid,” the statement read.
The group therefore called on both the Kwara State Government and the Federal Government to urgently intervene before the situation worsens.
“We are calling on the state government and the Federal Government to urgently deploy more security operatives to Kwara South and adequately empower our local vigilantes who are at the war front defending our communities,” the forum said.
“Our local vigilantes who are securing our region are always ready to defend our ancestral land, but they lack weapons, mobility and modern gadgets required to confront terrorists.”
The forum warned that unless urgent action is taken, more communities in Kwara South could be abandoned as residents continue to flee escalating violence across the region.
