Over 22 persons are currently being held captive by bandits in different communities in Kwara South, with their captors demanding an aggregate of over N400 million, foods and drinks as ransom.
The affected communities, which include Adanla, Isapa, Isanlu-Isin and Owa-Onire, are those not captured by the military emplacements by the state and federal government.
Vanguard reliably gathered that the bandits migrated from communities like Okeode, Babanla Eruku, where the Federal Government had facilitated military bases, to other communities that has little or no security presence to continue their onslaught.
Meet the captives
Currently, nine persons including the monarch of Afin in Ile Ere district Oba Simeon Olanipekun and son Olaolu, a youth corper abducted in December are still being held, same with nine persons abducted in Isapa and the two persons kidnapped on highway on Isanlu-Isin early this year.
Also, two persons kidnapped in Owa-Onire in December are still in the captivity of the bandits.
The monarch, Olowa of Owa-Onire Oba AbdulRahman Fabiyi, who claimed to have been abducted sometimes in 2024, and was released after payment of N5 million, told journalists on Friday that two persons abducted in the community in December are still with the bandits.
According to him, “I spoke with the two of them yesterday. We have paid them N2 million and we have negotiated down to N800,000 and lists of foods and drinks they gave us to also bring along with the amount before the two persons can be released.”
The monarch, who lamented over the porosity of the community without the presence of any security, pleaded with the state government to speedily facilitate the police station in Owa-Onire to discourage the incessant kidnappings.
He said, “They always operate freely here. We don’t have the presence of security in Owa-Onire.
“Our concern is that whenever they exhaust the ransom money and foods and drinks we supplied, they’ll come out again and abduct my people. So, we urgently need the presence of security to discourage this kind of sad development.”
Oba Olanipekun, who recalled his experience in the hands of bandits and the inability of the security agents to neutralised them, said: “The forests are extremely large and the routes are multiple and they know the routes because they have been existing there for decades.
“That’s why they always warn anyone not to attempt to escape.
“So the multiple routes and the largeness of the thick forests where they operate has been a major task for the security agents. That is why I’m pleading with the state government to provide security for my own people.”
Shedding light on this development, Coordinator of the Joint Security Watch for Kwara South Senatorial District, Zubair Olaitan, said: “Arresting and neutralizing bandits in Kwara South has been challenging due to several factors.
“The region’s terrain, with its vast forests, hills and caves as well as porous borders, provides a safe haven for these criminals.
“The bandits have also reportedly received support from locals, including food, shelter, and intelligence, making it harder for security forces to track them down.
“Lack of effective communication (like drones etc) and coordination between security agencies and local communities has hindered efforts to combat banditry.
“However, the Kwara State Government, in collaboration with federal security agencies, has taken steps to address these challenges, including deploying forest guards and launching joint patrols.
“Recent operations have yielded some successes, with security forces neutralizing several bandits and arresting suspects supplying them with guns, food, and other essentials.
“The government has also warned that it will not tolerate banditry and is committed to restoring peace in the region. I’m aware that efforts are ongoing by security operatives to study the terrain and further comb the forests.”