ABUJA — The Nigerian Senate has expressed grave concern over the worsening security situation in Kwara North Senatorial District. Punch Newspapers confirmed the Senate’s position on Wednesday. Senators from the zone urged the federal government to deploy additional security forces and intelligence assets to the area immediately.
The alarm follows a series of bandit attacks in Kwara North communities in recent weeks. The most recent incident involved armed men attacking a community, killing residents, and setting the Emir’s palace ablaze. Senators described the situation as a humanitarian emergency that demands immediate federal attention.
Senator Salihu Mustapha, representing Kwara Central, said communities in Kwara North are living in fear. He said farmers cannot access their fields, schools are being abandoned, and residents are fleeing. He said the federal government must treat the Kwara North situation with the same urgency it has shown in the northeast.
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Kwara’s Growing Security Crisis
Kwara State’s security environment has deteriorated significantly in recent months. The state borders Kogi, Niger, and Ekiti states and has forest corridors that armed groups have been using to move through the southwest. The murder of an Islamic cleric earlier this week added to a pattern of escalating violence.
The 1,000 Forest Guards approved by President Tinubu following the Oyo school abductions are expected to include deployments in Kwara’s vulnerable forest areas. However, recruitment, training, and deployment will take months. In the immediate term, communities are exposed.
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The National Emergency Management Agency said it has pre-positioned relief materials in Kwara North following the recent attacks. NEMA said it is working with the state government to provide support to displaced families and to assess the full humanitarian impact of the violence.
