Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State Under Siege 

By Aliyu Saifuddeen

When the handshake goes beyond the wrist, they say, it calls for concern. The security situation in Kaiama Local Government of Kwara State shows how deep the insecurity has eaten into the nation. Before now, we had an extremely peaceful community where everyone including settlers were in total control of their economic activities and had access to all kinds of resources including land and human without restrictions. All kinds of security breach were distant pieces of news.

To all concerned, Kaiama and indeed Kwara State is bleeding profusely, despite the effort of the governments at various tiers and levels including the traditional institutions.

This morning, the 20th of April 2026, we woke up to yet another security breach of bandits attack, which affected Kemanji village, just a stone throw from Kaiama, the Local Government Headquarters in which lives were lost. Report says it would have been more catastrophic if not for the swift intervention of the military stationed there that repelled and inflicted casualties on them but not without losing about three or four gallant men. The exact casualty is yet to be ascertained from both sides and the community.

At this point, I register my condolence with His Excellency, the Governor of Kwara State, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq CON; His Royal Highness, the Emir of Kaiama Alhaji Muazu Shehu Omar Kiyaru IV; Saoki of Kemanji and the entire people of Kaiama for all the lives lost.

Just a few weeks ago, it was Woro, and then Nuku and now Kemanji, all in Kaiama. This means the government and the security forces have a lot to do at this wake up call to stop the rapid spread. We must now begin to think differently in order to get a different result. The people lack adequate capacity to protect themselves from the bandits. The military and the police supported by the vigilante remains their hope. They need to be supported in an extraordinary manner different from what we have on ground. We are fast drifting to the situation we had a long time ago in Borno State and in areas around Birnin Gwari of Kaduna State. May God protect us.

I call on Mr President and the Jagaban Borgu, His Excellency, Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, to pay special attention to Kwara and in particular Kaiama to protect the people, because of their strategic locations, to prevent the invasion of the bandits further into the South West of the country as this will jeopardise qfurther the national security network.

The people of Kaiama at the moment are bleeding, crying and indeed dying in their hundreds, with over 176 of their women and children still hopelessly in captivity as if they suffer abandonment from those who should protect them.

We need more proactiveness in the areas of air surveillance of the entire area including the forest reserve, and the battalion just deployed there be made extremely more effective. This is for the short term, while in the medium is the quick rehabilitation of the victims to include the provision of basic needs of lives such as water, food and housing and finally, the resumption where abandoned (Kaiama-New Bussa, Kaiama-Ilorin, and Bode Saadu-Kaiama-Kosubosu) and the award of new contracts to reconstruct the entire road network of the Local Government to enhance quick security response time and other movements that are security related.

The news making the rounds that the bandits threatened to return more prepared to attack Kaiama the Local Government Headquarters should be treated as a National Emergency given the fact that in the past they have not failed in carrying out their threats issued either verbal or through letters as we have seen in the cases of Woro then and now Kemanji.

The people now live in extreme fear and poverty, as agriculture which is their main stay and primary source of livelihood has been brought almost to a halt while they are being killed daily in their hundreds.

This is an immediate call for concern and immediate action on the government’s at all tiers/levels and the traditional institutions to protect the lives and properties of the people in fulfilling their primary responsibility of governance to them.

Thank you.

Arc. ALIYU MUHAMMAD SAIFUDDEEN FNIA, former Kwara State Commissioner for Local Government Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development, writes from Abuja