Hundreds Flee Ancestral Homes As Kidnapping Crisis Worsens In Kwara South

Ilorin,  Kwara State– Hundreds of residents in Kwara South have fled their ancestral homes as the region battles worsening insecurity marked by daily cases of kidnapping.

The crisis, particularly severe in Ifelodun Local Government Area, has forced entire families to evacuate their communities, with many leaving behind farms, businesses, and properties.

Armed bandits are believed to be behind the attacks, which have left villagers in constant fear.

In a video obtained by Afrika Eyes, a resident, Ganiyu Babatunde, pleaded with the Kwara State Government to urgently intervene and protect affected communities.

Villages such as Sabe, Ologomo, Alabe, and Babanla have been among the hardest hit, with locals abandoning their homes to seek safety elsewhere.

Scenes at garages in towns like Oke-Ode showed displaced residents arriving with their children and belongings, desperately trying to board vehicles to safer locations.

The mass displacement shows the growing security crisis in Kwara South, where residents say life has become unbearable due to the unchecked wave of kidnappings.

Residents say the surge in kidnappings has left them in constant fear, forcing many to abandon their farms, homes, and businesses as the security crisis worsens.

Some of the affected people warned that if their communities become deserted, there would be no citizens left for the government to govern.

They voiced frustration, stressing that if rightful owners are driven from their ancestral homes, outsiders could easily take over their heritage.

“Please, Kwara State Government, come to our aid. Since I have been traveling from Ajase to Oke-Ode, I have encountered more than 10 vehicles filled with people fleeing their ancestral homes with their belongings. Some of them are even coming from Babanla,” one resident cried out.

“I’m at Oke-Ode garage. All the vehicles here have left for Sabe community to convey people who are running away from their homes. As you can see, I’m at Oke-Ode garage right now. Some people just brought their belongings here, trying to flee.

“Kwara State Governor, please come to our aid. The issue of insecurity in our communities is terrifying us. We don’t know what to do anymore. We are using this opportunity to call on the Kwara State Government and those at the helm of affairs. Communities that used to live peacefully are no longer peaceful.

“I have been here since morning, and there is no vehicle left. They have all gone to other communities to pick up people, even using motorcycles. A Dangote truck is being used to convey people and their belongings.

“Please, Kwara State Governor, come to our aid. We are in Oke-Ode community, and everyone is fleeing. Kidnappers have turned our community into a deserted place. May God help us and see us through. We don’t know what we have done to deserve this. We are tired, and people are leaving one after the other,” Babatunde added.

Afrika Eyes previously reported that gunmen suspected to be bandits are currently attacking Lataworo Community in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State, forcing residents to flee for safety.

The latest assault marks the second time the community has been invaded, and the second attack recorded in Edu LGA in a single day.

According to local sources, the attackers stormed the area in large numbers, firing sporadically and sending villagers into a state of panic.

Meanwhile, the exact number of kidnapped victims could not be confirmed at the time of filing this report.

On June 30, suspected armed bandits had launched coordinated attacks on three villages in the same LGA—Gada, Lataworo, and Kokodoko—injuring several residents and local vigilantes.

Kwara’s northern and southern regions have been grappling with a surge in terrorist activities in recent months, leaving many communities vulnerable.

The spokesperson for the Kwara State Police Command, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, has yet to issue an official statement regarding the latest attack.