Kwara, which prides itself as a State of Harmony, has long been considered one of Nigeria’s most peaceful places. The ICIR reports how violent attacks have disrupted the tranquillity in the southern part of the state, where armed men now terrorise and force farmers off their lands.

Lukman Balogun welcomed his newborn child in September last year. The night before the naming ceremony, his home was festive, filled with cooking and guests trooping in. He was at his frontage entertaining people when he received a distress call that kidnappers, believed to be herdsmen, had attacked a nearby village in Igbaja, Ifelodun Local Government Area, and abducted three people.

As the leader of the community’s vigilante group, Lukman hurriedly excused himself, entered the room and fetched his gun. His family members, terrified, wished him well as he stepped out of the house. Unfortunately, that was the last time they saw him alive. 

Lukman was killed in a fierce gunfight with the criminals, leaving his wives widowed and his newborn child fatherless. The joy of the naming ceremony morphed into mourning as his family and the community grappled with the loss. The festive drums fell silent, replaced by the cries of grief in a home that should have been celebrating new life.

“Lukman was more than a brother to me; he raised me. I grew up in his care, and he loved me deeply, just as he loved everyone around him,” said Lukman’s younger brother, Azeez Balogun who described his death as a wound that will never heal.

“That day, we had spoken in the morning,” he recalled. “He asked if I was going to the farm, but I told him I needed to work on the car first. When I came home later, I was exhausted and went straight to bed. We didn’t always get to see each other because of his visitors and responsibilities, but that night, they woke me around 10:30 p.m. to tell me he was gone. It felt like the world had ended.”

Muritala Adedayo, a 35-year-old hunter and one of Lukman’s loyal followers, shared his heartbreak, describing the news of his death as devastating, stressing that the late Lukman was his boss and benefactor.

“He didn’t have to go that night,” Muritala expressed his regret. “But it was in his nature to act when his community was in danger. On the eve of his child’s naming ceremony, he stood up to defend others. He was killed during the rescue mission, leaving us all in sorrow.”

Lukman’s death stirred protests by youths in the community some days after. The youths who trooped out in their numbers threatened to pull the community down and accused the cattle herders of perpetrating the heinous crime.

Residents in Igbaja and other villages in the southern part of Kwara State have been living in fear due to a surge in attacks by local terrorists who have transformed the once-peaceful communities into a hub of violence. Despite the state’s reputation as one of Nigeria’s most tranquil states, crime rates have emerged in this region with incidents of kidnapping, murder, assaults, looting, rape, maiming, and extortion, becoming alarmingly frequent.

Located in the North Central region of the country, Kwara shares a long border with the Republic of Benin while it also shares borders with some other Nigerian states. Niger to the north, Kogi to the east, and Ekiti, Osun, and Oyo to the south. These are the five entry points into the state.

The violence plaguing these communities can be categorised into two, based on findings by The ICIR. The first involves attacks allegedly orchestrated by local bandits, whom residents believe have taken refuge in nearby forests following military operations in the north. In other cases, residents accuse the neighbouring “Bororo,” also known as Fulani herdsmen who allegedly raid their farms and cart away their harvests.

While local vigilantes like Lukman were working together to fight back, they were often outnumbered and under-resourced, allowing the kidnappers to continue their reign of terror unchecked. Residents, who had once lived peacefully in these communities say they now feel abandoned by the government, which they believe has failed to address the crisis adequately. Due to the persistent attacks, some of them have relocated to Ilorin, the state’s capital. Despite assurances from the state government, many residents argue that little has been done to protect them.

Farmers at risk 

That Abdulmumini Mahmoud is alive today, if you ask him, is nothing short of luck. The 40-year-old farmer and father of four  survived two harrowing encounters with armed attackers in 2024.  

The first incident happened on a market day after he left Babanla market in Ifelodun local government area of the state. Early in January 2024, Abdulmumini, his car loaded with corn, maize, and soya beans, was driving to a nearby village when he began to hear sporadic gunshots.  

“When I looked ahead, I saw someone carrying a gun, furiously shooting,” he recalled. “I told those with me that we shouldn’t go further and instead look for an escape route. But we were eventually captured.”  

Abdulmumini tried to resist, but the attackers, whom he identified as ethnically Fulani, outnumbered him. They injured him, stole the ₦15,000 he had and carted away his belongings. 

“That day, someone had sent us money to buy food at the market, but one of my boys noticed someone following him when he went to collect money from the POS. Not long after, they attacked us around the ‘Ọlọhun-ẹwọ’ area.”  

The second attack happened just the night before The ICIR’s visit on November 6. Around 6 p.m., Abdulmumini was ambushed by armed attackers while returning home on his motorcycle.

“Suddenly, I was hit, and the motorcycle fell. They came out and beat me from both sides,” he recounted. “I was begging them in Hausa but they didn’t answer. I struggled to stand up and run away, but they stole my motorcycle and cut my head with a machete.”  

The challenges Abdulmumini faces go beyond these attacks. Armed men frequently destroy farms in his area. “Sometimes, they beg afterwards, and we forgive them,” he said, his voice heavy with frustration.  

For Abdulmumini, these attacks have been a bitter experience. An indigene of Ilorin, he said struggles brought him to Kwara South. His family had begged him to return home, but he cannot leave his means of livelihood behind.  

“I want to urge the government to help us,” he pleaded. “It’s not just me; it’s happening to many of us here. If I’m forced to leave farming, what will my children eat? The government should come to our aid.” 

Ibrahim Wakili, a farmer and father of two, still struggles to understand why he was targeted in a brutal night attack that left him with deep wounds and rendered him debilitated.

“It happened around 10 to 11 p.m.,” he recalled. “I saw three of them, but I didn’t drag anything with anyone. I couldn’t see their faces clearly because they flashed  light in my eyes.”

The attackers struck while he was asleep. “They hit me with a machete,” he continued, adding, “I tried to protect myself with my hands, but they cut both my back and my hand. They didn’t even steal anything.”

Wakili was rushed to safety by midnight, where his family and friends gathered to comfort him. The police have been informed, but the deed had been done and no justice is in sight.

Getting out of hands 

Over the past years, banditry has spread extensively across the North-Western states of Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, and Kaduna. In response, the Nigerian government has intensified military operations to combat these armed groups, pushing many southward into Niger, Kogi, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). 

As the violence expands into the North-Central region, Kwara State has begun to feel its effects, with non-state armed groups exploiting ungoverned spaces in the remote areas of the state. 

Residents attribute this to bandit groups fleeing military pressure in the North-West, who are now continuing their activities such as kidnapping for ransom and cattle rustling. 

Also, Kwara has experienced violent crimes linked to disputes over land and water resources in rural communities and gang clashes in urban areas. The escalating violence in Kwara mirrors patterns seen in other states in the region, with militants Fulani frequently accused of instigating the unrest. 

The state is increasingly becoming a target for disparate militant groups, including herdsmen seeking new territories.

According to data gathered from Armed Conflict Location & Event Data(ACCLED) and analysed by The ICIR, the number of violent attacks recorded in the state was very low until 2021 when the state recorded 84 incidents and 45 deaths. Since then, things have not come back to normal for some residents in the volatile parts of the state.

In 2024 alone, the state has recorded 60 incidents and 19 deaths based on the data gathered by the platform as of November 15 which excluded many cases that were not reported.

A 2022 report by SBM Intelligence, an Africa-focused geopolitical research firm, highlighted the worsening security situation in Kwara. The report notes a troubling rise in kidnappings, gang violence, inter-communal conflicts, targeted attacks, cattle rustling, and killings, resembling trends in other North-Central states where Fulani militants are often blamed for escalating violence. It also describes a consistent operational pattern among these militants, replicated across other regions of Nigeria where herder-resident clashes have occurred.

The ICIR’s findings reveal that the security situation in Kwara has persisted, with a surge in terrorist activities. Since the beginning of last year, the state has recorded numerous incidents of attacks, kidnappings, and other violent crimes.

For instance, kidnappers ambushed a group of farmers returning from their fields in Igbaja. Armed men, reportedly linked to herdsmen, opened fire on the farmers before abducting two individuals, demanding a ransom of N5 million for their release. The incident sent shockwaves through the community, causing many farmers to abandon their crops for fear of future attacks.

Similarly,  three women, including a pregnant mother, were taken while fetching water from a nearby stream. The kidnappers, who demanded a ransom of N2 million, threatened to harm the women if their demands were not met. The incident left families devastated, and the community rallied to raise funds for the ransom, illustrating the desperation and fear gripping residents.

In August, the town of Ajase-Ipo was shaken by the assassination of a prominent community leader who had been vocal about the rising insecurity. Eyewitnesses reported that armed men invaded his home in the early hours, shooting him in front of his family. This violent act was perceived as a warning to others who might oppose the kidnappers and their activities, causing further anxiety among residents.

These persistent attacks have resulted in widespread panic, with many villagers abandoning their farmlands, fearing for their lives. The insecurity threatens farmers’ livelihoods and risks disrupting the region’s food supply as agricultural activity grinds to a halt.

Findings by The ICIR indicate that many residents have fled the region while farmers have abandoned their crops due to safety concerns.

More victims narrate horrific experience

Abdulqodir Ajia still bears the scars of a brutal attack that has left his family shaken and his livelihood threatened. The 70-year-old and father of eight has spent decades farming yam, maize, corn, and soya on his land, even sharing parts of it with herdsmen to cultivate. But what started as a dispute over stolen farm produce escalated into violence.

“The incident happened on Thursday midnight, October 31, 2024. Before then, the herdsmen had stolen the yam I planted. We caught them, and their fathers came begging. But I told them I didn’t want begging—I wanted my money. They agreed to pay ₦200,000 and promised to bring it, he said.”

However, the promises turned into betrayal. Just three days later, the same herdsmen returned to steal again. “Four days after, they came to my house around 1 a.m. with cutlasses and macheted me. I was taken to the hospital, and I am much better now. But they attacked me after I had even given them space to farm on my land.”

The attack left Abdulqodir deeply wounded. His youngest son, Salman Adam Ajia, vividly remembers about the assault. “I wasn’t living with them,but around midnight, I got a call that some people had attacked Baba.

“I asked how bad it was, but they couldn’t answer, so I rushed to the hospital with a companion. When I saw him, I was shocked and deeply saddened. His ears and mouth had been macheted,” Salman recalls.

The herdsmen injured Abdulqodir, stole his phone and farm produce, including yam. While the police have visited to gather evidence, Abdulqodir has yet to see any action taken.

Abolarin Job, a 70-year-old farmer and father of eight, has lived through many challenges, but nothing prepared him for the night his son returned home, injured and terrified.  

The incident began late in the night when his wife called out to him with a voice filled with trepidation.  “She said our son had been attacked, and they had blinded one of his eyes,” Abolarin recalls.

“I rushed inside and found him with a swollen eye. When I called his name, he answered with only one eye open—the other was completely blocked.”  

His son, Lawale Abolarin, recounts the terrifying ordeal. He had been sleeping near a Fulani settlement when the attackers struck. “They told him to stand up and demanded the key to his motorcycle,” Abolarin says. “Before he could get to his feet, they hit him hard in the face. He screamed and ran, and the others who were there also fled. When he got home, his eye was swollen, and he was in severe pain.”

The memory of that night continues to haunt Abolarin and his family. “Anytime my children go to the farm, my heart is never at peace.   Even at home, we live in constant fear.”  

For Abolarin, farming has always been his family’s way of life, but the growing insecurity in the area is threatening their survival. The fear of another attack weighs heavily on him, yet he knows that abandoning their farms would leave them with nothing.

Segun Janafa, the leader of hunters in Idẹra land, Irepodun local government spoke about the situation in his community, where insecurity has reached alarming levels. 

“What we are facing these days is terrible and bitter to say. If not that you came and we see you like this, we thought the government intentionally abandoned us for them to kill us all,” Janafa said, referring to the scale of violence faced by the community. 

He lamented the disparity in weaponry between the community’s defenders and the attackers, stressing that the attackers wield powerful guns while the community only has small arms for protection.

“The amount of people they kill these days is alarming. I remember how they lured the Jagun of Igbaja land and killed him. It was painful,” he said. He also spoke about the killing of a community security guard named Shola, further highlighting the toll of the violence. 

“These invaders are not from our side. If we complain to the security personnel, they will say we are all Nigerians,” he said.

He also recounted an incident where the police arrested a welder who helped fabricate the guns used by the attackers but later released him. “The police arrested the welder that helped weld the gun, and we were the ones that bailed him with funds,” Janafa revealed.

As a hunter working with other communities, Janafa emphasised the collective efforts of local hunters to safeguard their areas, but he urged the government to do more. “We are hunters from different communities and work together most times, but we need more support,” he said.

Community leaders seek government’s intervention 

Several community leaders from Kwara South who spoke with The ICIR raised alarm over the increasing wave of insecurity in their region, primarily due to kidnappers and armed Fulani herdsmen.

The leaders, in separate interviews with The ICIR, highlighted how insecurity has crippled farming activities and led to fear among residents, calling for a stronger government response, including the establishment of security posts in the forested areas that criminals use as hideouts.

The king of Babanla town, Yusuf Aliu Alabi lamented the persistent insecurity in the region and attributed its cause to the vast forested areas as havens for criminals. 

“What is happening is that we had problems with armed attackers around this district and also Fulani herdsmen. What we thought was causing it was that they were being chased from the north and were looking for space to stay. Our place, for example, has a lot of forest, and the Fulani can settle anywhere. The forest can easily serve as their hideout,” he explained. 

The monarch recounted that the government had previously deployed soldiers to patrol the forests in an attempt to curb the violence, but once the soldiers left, insecurity returned. 

“It has been happening for over five years now. The forest is the problem, and many areas have access to the forest, especially from places like Kogi, Patigi, and others,” he said.

To address this issue, he suggested that the government should consider building an army barracks within the forested areas. 

The King of Sagbe land, Isiaka Lawal, shared his community’s struggles with rising insecurity, which has severely impacted local farmers.

“The security issue is a very concerning matter to us. Before, there was nothing like that, but now, the pressing issue has been frustrating us because the farmers can’t go to their farms anymore, and even we that are at home, we are afraid,” Lawal said.

The monarch acknowledged that while the Kwara State government had made efforts to address the security challenges by providing motorcycles, hunters, and local guards for community protection, the measures have proven ineffective. 

“Our hunters and security members have small guns compared to the ones the attackers are holding,” he added. Lawal stressed the urgency of government intervention, particularly in addressing the forest areas, which are seen as the hideouts of the criminals. “We need government intervention. How will these people leave this space? The forest is their hideout,” he said, calling for stronger security measures.

The chairman of the Oke Ode c ommunity in Kwara South, Daniel Adeniji, voiced his concerns about the inability of the police to tackle insecurity in the forested areas.

“I don’t think the government remembers we still exist. Police can’t enter the forest; they only guard their office or the highway. They can’t enter the forest, and it is inside the forest where these people are hiding,” Adeniji said. 

He also mentioned that even when attackers were captured, they were often released by the police, leaving the community vulnerable. 

“Even if we caught the attackers, the police, in some ways, do release them, leaving the person that caught them in trouble after they release them,” Adeniji said.

He expressed deep concern over the continued loss of lives in the community, citing the murder of the Jagun of Igbaja as an example.

“We cried when Jagun of Igbaja died because he was a very good man. They lured him outside and killed him,” he explained.

“What we want the government to do is to secure our forests. The attackers are probably not from Nigeria,” he said.

Adeniji, like the other leaders, emphasised the need for stronger security forces and greater support from the government to restore peace to the area.

What are the authorities doing? 

In October, the Kwara State Police c is ommand, led by the police commissioner, Victor Olaiya, convened a high-level strategic security meeting at the Police Officers Mess, GRA, Ilorin, as part of efforts to enhance the state’s security.

The meeting brought together the major stakeholders in the state, comprising the 16 local government chairmen, traditional leaders in various communities, vigilante and hunter leaders in the 16 LGAs, and the SSA Security to the governor of Kwara State, to address the security challenges and enhance coordination across the state.

Speaking at the meeting, the police commissioner addressed the reoccurring incidents of criminal activities in parts of the state and also sought to strengthen the synergy between various local security outfits.

Olaiya emphasised the importance of collaboration among the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, VGN, local hunters, the Miyetti Allah and Gaa Allah, stressing that unified efforts are key to safeguarding communities from criminal elements.

He further urged security operatives to remain honest and vigilant, warning them against conniving with kidnappers or becoming complicit in criminal activities within their communities.

The police commissioner beckoned on the local government chairmen to enhance security operations in their areas by ensuring that recruitment into the various security groups is conducted thoroughly.

 “Background checks should be performed to ensure that new recruits have no criminal history. Once this careful selection process is completed, the Kwara State Police command will organise specialised training sessions to better equip the recruits to carry out their duties effectively.”

The ICIR contacted the spokesperson of the Kwara state police command, Ejire Adeyemi Toun, she asked this reporter to send  questions as texts. However, she had not responded as of the press time despite reading the message.

Meanwhile, speaking with The ICIR, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Rafiu Ajakaye explained that the state government continues to work with all stakeholders, especially traditional rulers, security agencies, local vigilantes, and community leaders, to roll back the security breaches in part of the region. 

“This has recorded appreciable success, even as more efforts are being put in place,” he said, adding that, “The government has well-funded security initiatives to check the activities of some criminals who take advantage of the developments in parts of the country to hibernate in our local forests and engage in criminal activities.” 

“These security initiatives, such as raids and show of force operations, have succeeded in pushing back the criminal elements. For instance, the government has standby military Forward Operations Bases (FOBs) in Kaiama, Ifelodun, Ekiti, and Patigi.”

Ajakaye added that there are policing initiatives deployed in different parts of the state and fully funded by the government. 

“Besides other community-based initiatives, each local government has been directed to form vigilante groups to neutralise such threats, and they are doing great already.” 

He said the state government is also supporting the permanent stationing of anti-kidnapping squads in the region and standby tactical teams for prompt response to critical security issues.

“There is also the Nigeria Air Force reconnaissance surveillance operations to ascertain features of security interest,” he added.

“There are also at least 200 local hunters who are being mobilised for specific operations in Baruten and Kaiama.”

He urged the residents to furnish security agencies with adequate and actionable information from time to time. 

“The state government is fully funding these security operations, apart from other commitments that we may not discuss in this space,” he concluded. 

Way forward

Speaking with The ICIR, Gbemisola Animasawun, a professor at the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ilorin, highlighted the need to examine the root causes of violence in Kwara South.

“So, are we now having a kind of spillover effect of insecurity from other places, or criminals from other areas in and out to perpetrate evil and flee? We need to ask ourselves what factors are responsible for the upsurge in this kind of environment,” he said.

He added that environmental factors, state incompetence, or neglect might be contributors.

Animasawun emphasised that Nigeria is fundamentally under-policed, noting that insecurity in rural and hard-to-reach areas manifests as banditry, kidnappings, and abductions.

“This is because the further you move away from the state capital, the weaker the state becomes, thereby yielding grounds for alternative sovereigns or criminally governed spaces inaccurately described as ungoverned spaces,” he explained.

He pointed out that limited state presence is evident in the concentration of policing infrastructure in urban centres, leaving rural areas vulnerable. “Even when distress calls are made, these communities are hard to reach. Where such a situation exists, criminality thrives.”

In the specific case of Kwara South, Animasawun attributed the insecurity to the proximity of forest reserves and the state’s neglect of these areas, which have become havens for criminals. “For example, people are kidnapped in these areas and moved across states like Ekiti, Ondo, Kwara, Kogi, and Edo through these forests,” he said.

He warned that the implications for development and citizens’ well-being are severe. “When there is no security, neither the government nor the people can prosper,” he said, adding that rural security is essential for enhancing food security and attracting foreign direct investment.

While local vigilantes are making efforts to address the insecurity, Animasawun noted their limitations, particularly in firepower and the legal inability to bear arms.

He expressed optimism about the federal government’s commitment to state policing, citing the complementary relationship between the Police and Amotekun in the Southwest as a model.

“With sub-national or plural policing, personnel can be trained and deployed based on informed evaluations of security needs,” he said.

He urged the government to implement confidence-building measures, improve intelligence-sharing mechanisms, and enhance logistical support for rapid responses to distress calls. He also called for functional security cooperation among states with shared borders to tackle cross-border criminal activities effectively.

On her part, a security analyst with SBM Intelligence, Antoinette Onyekwelu, said the security situation causes disruption to the daily lives of the citizens, particularly for rural residents who are losing access to farms, businesses, schools, and healthcare, which she noted is worsening poverty and social dislocation.  

Onyekwelu emphasised the psychological toll on communities, stating that living under constant threat erodes trust and social cohesion.

“For the state, this growing instability erodes governance and economic prospects, deterring investment and creating a climate of uncertainty. Security agencies operating in Kwara face increased pressure, stretching already limited resources,” he said.   

“Many residents, particularly those in rural areas, are losing access to their farms, businesses, schools, and healthcare,” she said, adding that this has deepened economic hardship.  

Onyekwelu attributed the rise in violence partly to Kwara State’s geographical location and its proximity to conflict-prone zones, which she said makes it a transit and haven for criminal groups fleeing intensified security operations in other regions. 

“Its rural and forested areas offer ideal hideouts for bandits and insurgents, while porous borders facilitate the unchecked movement of arms and illegal activities,” she noted.  

She recommended enhancing border security through surveillance technologies, establishing well-equipped checkpoints, and promoting intelligence-sharing networks between Kwara and neighbouring states.

 “Investing in community-based security initiatives, such as training and integrating vigilante groups into formal structures, can strengthen local defences,” she said. adding that addressing the root causes of insecurity like poverty and unemployment would help mitigate the problem.  

“There should be a surge in security forces to key hotspots and intelligence-led operations to dismantle criminal networks,” she said.

She further urged investments in education, healthcare, and job opportunities in rural areas, alongside regional collaboration for better intelligence sharing, to create sustainable peace and prevent recurring violence.