Terror in Kwara North: Banditry ravages Nupe communities as residents cry for help 

Residents of Nupe-speaking communities in Kwara North are living in fear and uncertainty as relentless attacks by armed bandits continue to escalate, leaving death, displacement, and destruction in their wake. Once peaceful towns have now become targets of near-daily kidnappings, extortion, and deadly assaults.

The situation has grown dire, with security forces overwhelmed and government responses described by locals as either confused or completely ineffective.

Victims, often abducted from their homes or farmlands, include minors, women, and the elderly. Just two days ago, two siblings—both under 15 years old—were released after 41 harrowing days in captivity.

According Dr Sanusi Lafiagi, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Islamic Studies, Al-Hikma University, Ilorin, Kwara State, more than ₦200 million has been paid in ransom to these criminal groups within just the last three months.

He laments that the payment of ransoms, while sometimes the only way to save lives, has also fueled the booming kidnapping-for-ransom industry, emboldening criminals and worsening the crisis.

“This is not an exaggeration,” Lafiagi said. “The kidnapping industry is the most lucrative business in Nigeria today.”

Recent attacks have further deepened the sense of insecurity. In Eko village under the Lafiagi district, Mallam Manko and his wife were kidnapped but released last night after ransom was paid. On the same night, Gbale community—also in Lafiagi—was attacked, with at least two people reportedly abducted.

In an earlier effort to push back, over 30 local hunters and vigilantes lost their lives during a failed confrontation with the bandits in the forest, underscoring the growing sophistication and firepower of these criminal elements.

Despite mounting evidence, state authorities have sometimes denied the scale of the violence. A recent video showing the deserted village of Ganmu-Alheri, described as a “ghost town,” was debunked by the Kwara State Police Command—sparking outrage among residents who say official denials only worsen the crisis.

“Our homes and farmlands are no longer safe,” Lafiagi warned. “This threat must not be treated lightly. It is a recipe for monumental disaster.”

The communities now find themselves trapped in a moral and strategic dilemma: pay ransoms and risk enabling more kidnappings, or resist and possibly lose loved ones.

For now, the people of Kwara North remain caught between the devil and the deep blue sea—with no clear rescue in sight.