Kwara South Is Bleeding: And the Government Is Sleeping

By Hammed Adedayo Said

 

The blood of innocent people is spilling too frequently on the soil of Kwara South. The once peaceful communities of Ifelodun, Irepodun, Oke-Ero, and beyond have now become headlines for killings, kidnappings, and fear. Farmers can’t go to their farms, traders can’t travel safely on rural roads, and families are burying their loved ones while the government continues to release the same tired condolence statements.

The most recent massacre in Oke-Ode proves this beyond doubt. Armed criminals stormed the community, killing vigilantes and even a respected village head. Reports say between 10 and 15 lives were lost. Dozens more were taken away into the forests. And what was the government’s reaction? A statement of “shock” and a call for military reinforcement the same old script we have heard too many times.

This is not leadership. This is negligence dressed up as governance.

The Pattern of Failure

Let’s face the bitter truth: these attacks didn’t start yesterday. For months, Kwara South has been under siege. Farmers are targeted in their fields, roads have become death traps, and kidnappers operate freely from the forests. Yes, the police announce “arrests” from time to time. Yes, there are occasional rescue operations. But the very fact that abductions and killings continue shows that the government is chasing shadows while criminals are ten steps ahead.

Here are the failures staring us in the face:

Reactive Leadership: Our governor and his team only act after bodies have dropped. There is no prevention, no proactive policing, no strategic deployment just reaction and condolences.

Suppression of Facts: Accusations abound that the government is deliberately downplaying the scale of insecurity. And when government hides facts, it serves kidnappers, not citizens.

Abandonment of Rural Dwellers: Vigilantes poorly trained and poorly armed are being sent to face bandits with AK-47s. Their deaths are the price of the government’s irresponsibility.

Weak Prosecution: We keep hearing of “arrests,” but where are the names, faces, and convictions? Until justice is transparent, these so-called arrests are empty PR stunts.

Economic Sabotage: Farms are abandoned, markets are shrinking, and food prices are soaring. Failure to secure rural communities is not only costing lives, it is wrecking livelihoods.

Why This Hurts More

This is not just about banditry; it is about betrayal. The very first duty of any government is to secure lives and property. When a government cannot provide security, it has failed in its most basic responsibility. Citizens of Kwara South are not asking for handouts. They are asking for the right to live, work, and move without fear of being kidnapped or killed.

Every condolence message from the governor now sounds like an insult. Every plea for “federal support” feels like an excuse. If local communities can identify criminal hideouts in the forests, why can’t the state maintain permanent security presence there? If we can keep reading about “rescues,” why are we not hearing about life sentences for those caught?

The truth is bitter: Kwara’s leaders are more comfortable managing the optics of tragedy than fixing the tragedy itself.

What Must Be Done (Immediately) 

Enough of words. Here are actions the people should demand right now:

Permanent deployment of community-police detachments and rapid-response patrols in hotspots not temporary teams that vanish after funerals.

Intelligence-driven operations, not guesswork. Build informant networks, protect whistleblowers, and expose collaborators.

Transparent prosecution of kidnappers with regular public updates on trials, convictions, and sentencing.

End the reckless reliance on vigilantes. Formalize them, train them, arm them properly, or stop sacrificing their lives.

Secure farms and rural markets with seasonal patrols. Food security is national security.

Final Word

The killings and kidnappings in Kwara South are not random misfortunes they are the direct result of government failure, indifference, and weak priorities. The governor was not elected to issue condolences; he was elected to protect lives.

Kwara South is bleeding. The people are tired of mourning. And if the government cannot stop the bloodshed, then it has no moral right to remain in office pretending to lead.

History will not forgive silence. The people will not forget negligence. And God will not overlook the blood of the innocent crying from the soil of Kwara.