Banditry in Kwara South: A Ticking Time Bomb for the Southwest By Femi Ogunshola

I never imagined a day when the activities of bandits would become a major concern in Kwara State, least of all in my own region, Kwara South.

Ours is a state that has never glorified violence or harbored criminality. Yes, no community is entirely free of crime, but the brand of terror bandits unleash in killing and maiming lives with reckless abandon has never been part of our reality.

Kwara people love life; that is why the state proudly bears the title “State of Harmony.” Never in our history have we witnessed such brazen acts of kidnapping and bloodshed.

But their motive is becoming clearer. Kwara is the gateway to the Southwest, a region already seen as politically secure for President Bola Tinubu. To unsettle it, the plot is simple: destabilize Kwara, and the ripple effect will spread across the entire zone.

Like a movie unfolding, banditry crept in from Kwara North. Instead of fading away, it leapt over Kwara Central and struck Kwara South. Ifelodun LGA, the largest in Kwara, perhaps even in Nigeria,was the first casualty.

Now the menace has landed in Ekiti LGA. From my village to Otun-Ekiti in neighboring Ekiti State is barely a five-minute drive. I have made that journey many times; I know it firsthand. This proximity makes the situation even more alarming.

Recently, bandits kidnapped and killed a Fulani leader in Iloffa, the headquarters of Oke-Ero LGA, a man who had lived peacefully in the community for decades.

From there, they are pushing toward Osi, Eruku, Ikerin, and other adjoining towns. At this rate, they will soon spread into Ekiti, and from there to Osun, Ondo, Ogun, Oyo, and eventually Lagos unless drastic action is taken.

With the 2027 elections drawing closer, the danger is obvious: if these criminal elements entrench themselves in Kwara South and its border communities, voter turnout in the Southwest could be crippled. That would serve the interests of those eager to weaken the region’s electoral influence.

This is the reality whether we admit it or not. Those seeking to profit from chaos ahead of 2027 are already strategising. They will not stop until their plans materialise.

But the responsibility to resist lies with the people of the region. The governors. They must rise boldly to defend their land.

Security agencies appear overwhelmed; therefore, the six Southwest states must urgently strengthen Amotekun and other local security structures to repel this looming invasion.

Anything less would be catastrophic a costly mistake one that could leave the region politically vulnerable and socially destabilised.