THE MASSACRE IN KWARA STATE

Security agencies should do more to contain the all-pervasive violence

Kwara, the ‘State of Harmony’, is in serious distress. For almost one year now, the state has been under the siege of criminals who are sacking communities, kidnapping men, women and children, and disrupting the socio-economic activities of the people. Beyond the fact that rural dwellers are increasingly finding it difficult to access their farms, many schools, markets and health centres are also shutting down out of fear. But last Tuesday’s massacre of no fewer than 160 people “for refusing strange belief” points to the danger of Kwara State becoming another epicentre for jihadist insurgency with all the dire implications for our national security. We demand accountability as we commiserate with the government and people of Kwara State over the tragedy.

The survivors of the horrific killings in Woro Community in Kaiama local government area of the state are still counting their tolls in human and material cost. But the magnitude of the killings and the level of destruction in the community indicate that it was deliberate and carefully planned. The gunmen, who were said to have arrived on motorcycles, reportedly congregated on the premises of a school within the community before launching their coordinated attacks on innocent villagers. What that suggests is an implicit failure of pre-emptive intelligence. And if there was prior information to the authorities about the planned attack, as it is being suggested, that makes the situation worse.

With Kwara sharing boundaries with Niger, Kogi, Ekiti, Osun and Oyo States while also serving as the gateway between the northern and southern parts of the country, the state is too strategic to allow some criminals who parade as religious zealots any foothold. Yet available reports indicate exactly that. Explaining what motivated the killings, Defence spokesman, Major General Samaila Uba said the invaders wanted to impose a “twisted” belief on the villagers through terror and intimidation but the people “refused to abandon their way of life and constitutional loyalty despite threats.” This has been corroborated by President Bola Tinubu in his statement on the tragedy. “It is commendable that the community members, even though Muslims, refused to be conscripted into a weird belief that promoted violence over peace and dialogue,” he said.

Before the latest attack, several communities in Kwara State have been experiencing a surge in brutal attacks and killings. On 23 September last year, suspected terrorists launched a midnight raid on Maganiko Ndanangi community in Edu local government area, abducting a woman and a teenage girl. Less than a week later, on 28 September, armed bandits murdered no fewer than 15 members of a local forest guard and others in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun local government area. Another free reign for insurgents in the state would compound the security challenge, not just for Kwara but the country at large.

Given its proximity to the expansive Kainji Lake Park, poor road network and vast ungovernned spaces, the northern axis of Kwara State has long been identified as a boon for criminal enterprise. With the Patigi–Gbugbu–Lafiagi–Tsaragi–Bacita road seen largely as another death trap where criminals operate freely on motorbikes, many people are being forced to relocate as a result of security concerns. That was what necessitated the relocation of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) permanent orientation camp at Yikpata in Edu local government area to the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin to ensure the safety and welfare of corps members.

 Ordinarily, forests are sanctuaries for endangered plant and animal species. But in Nigeria today, most of our forests have become havens for criminal activities. Almost daily, they kidnap, rape, kill and torture victims to pay millions of naira or dollars in ransom, using these ungoverned forests across the country as their launching pads. With the security agencies stretched to their limits, the authorities must come up with how to protect rural dwellers. But beyond that, there must be a more serious response to the infiltration of violent jihadist ideology into the country.  

 Quote

Given its proximity to the expansive Kainji Lake Park, poor road network and vast ungovernned spaces, the northern axis of Kwara State has long been identified as a boon for criminal enterprise.