In Isanlu-Isin, Kwara State, residents of the Eleyin community staged a protest on Saturday, blocking a major road to protest the abduction of several families. The demonstrators are demanding that government authorities take action to secure the release of the victims and improve security in the area.
The crowd vowed to maintain the blockade until the government acts. According to residents, gunmen kidnapped seven people in the Eleyin community—three wives, their husbands, and three children. The residents also alleged that despite a ransom payment of N20 million, the abductees have not been released. Some of the people who delivered the money are also being held hostage.
Other protesters said gunmen have kidnapped three children since Wednesday, which has escalated fear across neighborhoods in the local government area. Demonstrators called on Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and President Bola Tinubu to intervene urgently and deploy security resources to the area. A community leader said, “Those who were kidnapped have not been released despite a ransom payment of N20 million, and the people who went to deliver the money are also being held hostage.”
Political Scheming Amidst Security Crisis
SaharaReporters previously reported that council chairmen elected under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have begun campaigning for the 2027 governorship race, even as bandits continue to attack villages in Kwara South. According to SaharaReporters, seven chairmen gathered at a political meeting in Ilemona, Oyun Local Government Area, which the Deputy Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Ojo Olayiwola Oyebode, organized. A video obtained by SaharaReporters shows the council bosses wearing campaign caps for the current Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Engineer Yakubu Danladi Salihu. They openly endorsed him as their preferred successor to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
This endorsement comes amid escalating insecurity in the Kwara South Senatorial District, which includes seven local government areas. Since January, Ifelodun, Isin, Irepodun, and Ekiti Local Government Areas have experienced relentless attacks and kidnappings, forcing many residents to flee. The region has become the epicenter of Kwara State’s worsening security crisis, with communities being invaded and occupied by suspected terrorists.
Residents Condemn Politicians’ Priorities
Villagers have been forced to pay millions of naira in ransom to free their family members, yet local government chairmen appear preoccupied with political scheming. Some residents in Kwara South have condemned the move, describing it as insensitive and premature. A resident said the governor should call both the council chairmen and legislators from Kwara South to order, because premature politicking could escalate the crisis. He added, “It doesn’t lie in the mouths of the average person in Kwara South. We are facing our worst security crisis since the creation of the state.”
Another resident said, “While we bury our dead and struggle to raise ransom for our abducted relatives, these politicians are busy sharing campaign caps. It shows where their loyalty lies, and it is not with the people.” Community leaders and protesters are urging state and federal security agencies to act promptly to free the kidnapped victims and restore calm.
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