•Bandits
The Evangelical Church Winning All in Kwara State has raised the alarm over what it described as the worsening wave of kidnappings and killings across communities in Kwara South Senatorial District, urging authorities to take urgent action to restore security.
The church’s position followed a fresh attack in Oyatedo village, in Irepodun Local Government Area of the state, where suspected kidnappers reportedly killed an ECWA member, Omoniyi Ajise, and abducted his wife alongside four other residents, reports The PUNCH.
According to the church, the incident occurred yesterday while leaders of ECWA district councils in the state were holding a security meeting in Omu-Aran, as a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and made available to our correspondent today stated.
The communiqué was signed by the Chairman of the ECWA Joint District Church Councils Forum in the state, Samuel Adewumi, and its Secretary, Joseph Agboluaje.
The meeting, which brought together leaders from Ilorin, Omu-Aran, Igbaja, Oro-Ago and Fate-Tanke District Church Councils, deliberated on the growing security challenges affecting communities across the state and neighbouring areas.
According to the church leaders, the latest attack added to a growing number of incidents reported in communities around Oro-Ago, Babanla and other parts of the district.
They disclosed that two elderly residents, identified simply as Dada and Ishola, were among persons earlier abducted in Ahun village, but were later released after the kidnappers reportedly discovered their advanced age.
The church leaders described the security situation as alarming, noting that kidnappings and attacks had become frequent occurrences in several rural communities.
They warned that the persistent insecurity was particularly affecting farmers at the peak of the cashew harvesting season, a major source of livelihood for residents.
According to the communiqué, many farmers had abandoned their farms for fear of attacks, while communities now lived under constant threat from criminal groups.
The forum also lamented that the insecurity had forced the closure of several ECWA churches in affected communities, as members and clergy fled their homes in search of safety.
“Many pastors are now without congregations, while members and residents have been compelled to flee their homes. Economic activities have been severely disrupted and many families have been pushed into hardship,” the communiqué read.
The church leaders said the situation had reached a level where what used to be abnormal had now become routine in many communities across the district.
They therefore called on the federal government, the Kwara State government and security agencies to urgently strengthen security operations across the affected areas.
According to the forum, the protection of lives and property remained a fundamental responsibility of government.
The church urged authorities to deploy more security personnel, strengthen intelligence gathering and adopt proactive strategies to curb kidnapping and other criminal activities in Kwara South and neighbouring communities.
The forum, however, assured that the church would continue to support peace efforts through prayers and moral guidance while encouraging members to remain law-abiding.
ECWA leaders added that the church remained committed to promoting peace, unity and community development across the state.
When contacted, the Kwara State Police Command said it was not aware of the incidents as no report had been made.
“I am not aware of any such incident,” the command’s spokesperson, Superintendent of Police Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, told our correspondent in a telephone interview today.
She said the command was working round the clock to ensure the state was safe for residents.
“You know the command is not resting on its oars. Just on Monday, the IGP visited Kwara State and he promised to ensure banditry in the state would be a thing of the past.
“We also made some arrests recently and those suspects will be charged in court soon after the conclusion of investigation,” she added.
Recent months have witnessed rising security concerns across parts of Kwara State, particularly in rural communities bordering forests and interstate routes linking the state with neighbouring Niger, Ekiti and Osun states, where residents have reported increased activities of kidnappers and armed gangs.
