Kwara South Residents Block Dangote Trucks, Accuse Drivers Of Aiding Bandits With Ammunition, Ransom Payments

Ilorin,  Kwara State- Tension in Kwara South as angry residents of Igbaja community in Ifelodun Local Government Area staged a massive protest, blocking Dangote trucks from passing through their town over allegations that the company’s drivers are complicit in the worsening insecurity plaguing the region.

In a video obtained by AfrikaEyes, one of the protesters accused some Dangote truck drivers of being directly involved in the logistics of banditry in Kwara State.

According to him, the drivers allegedly deliver ammunition to criminal groups and even deposit ransom payments collected from victims’ families into kidnappers’ accounts.

The residents explained that bandits have been terrorising villages across Ifelodun and other parts of Kwara South, with communities such as Babanla, Sabe, Ologomo, Alabe  and Oreke almost completely abandoned in recent days.

Fear-stricken families have fled their homes, leaving behind a ghostly silence in once-bustling farming settlements.

However, those who remain behind, mostly youths, say they continue to witness Dangote trucks passing daily through areas where ordinary residents no longer feel safe to walk.

Protest leaders argued that the bandits do not target Dangote trucks for ransom, instead preferring to prey on local farmers and traders who struggle to survive.

The demonstration, which drew large crowds of youths and community members, received the backing of local authorities.

Honourable Femi Yusuf, Chairman of Ifelodun Local Government, was said to have endorsed the blockade, assuring protesters that their grievances would be conveyed to higher authorities. Community leaders and stakeholders in the area have also reportedly thrown their weight behind the action.

Residents are now appealing to state and federal authorities for urgent intervention.

They insist that Kwara South is “bleeding,” warning that without decisive action, more lives will be lost and more communities will be deserted.

“Bandits are terrorising us and depriving us of sleep. No one feels safe in their own home anymore. The situation has deteriorated so badly that youths across Kwara South are now mobilising and reaching out to one another.

“For the past three days, Babanla and neighbouring communities have been completely deserted. The few courageous youths who remain there continue to give us updates. They report that Dangote trucks still pass through some of these communities daily, especially in Oreke, where not a single resident is left, yet the trucks continue to move undisturbed.

“The bandits are not kidnapping Dangote truck drivers for ransom. Instead, they are targeting our people—poor farmers who survive on little to nothing,” he said.

Expressing deep concern for the safety of Kwara Southerners, he continued: “We have discovered that some Dangote truck drivers are the ones collecting ransom from victims of banditry and depositing the money into kidnappers’ accounts. These same drivers are also allegedly buying and supplying ammunition for the criminals.

“Today, in Igbaja, the ‘Home of the Highlands,’ we resolved to block the road and announced that no Dangote truck will be allowed into our community henceforth. This decision has also received the backing of the Ifelodun Local Government Chairman, Honourable Femi Yusuf.

“All relevant stakeholders have instructed us to stand firm. We are not fighting them—we only ask them to turn back. Whatever they may bring, we know we lack the power to resist, but we are appealing to the powerful and uncompromising voices in this country to come to our aid. Kwara South is bleeding. Our people are being killed, our people are being kidnapped. Please help us.

“Our communities are deserted, and we can no longer sleep,” he added.

Efforts to get a reaction from Anthony Chiejina, Chief Corporate Communications Officer of Dangote Group, were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.