By Bashir Adigun
For years, the people of Kwara State have lived with a painful contradiction. Widely
regarded as one of Nigeria’s most peaceful states, Kwara has increasingly found itself on the frontline of insecurity, with criminal elements exploiting its vast forests, porous borders, and sparsely populated rural communities.
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In recent years, communities stretching from Baruten, Kaiama and Edu in the north to Ifelodun, Irepodun, Isin and Oke Ero in the south have experienced the devastating consequences of banditry and kidnapping. Farmers have abandoned farmlands. Rural markets have suffered declining patronage. Families have lived with the trauma of abductions, while traditional rulers, religious institutions and vulnerable residents have become targets of criminal gangs.
