Residents of Kwara State have accused the Nigerian Army and Department of State Services (DSS) of failing to protect them from deadly terrorist attacks.
Community leaders claimed that security personnel admitted they could not confront the gunmen because the criminals were better armed.
In a video shared on social media, leaders from Ifelodun Local Government Area lamented that villages remain under siege despite government promises.
One community leader, speaking in Yoruba, said the government’s response had been “cosmetic” while lives continued to be lost.
He appealed to traditional rulers and state authorities to act urgently, describing the situation as beyond what the people could handle.
The leader also revealed that during a condolence visit to Oke-Ode after a recent attack, residents disclosed that soldiers and DSS operatives refused to chase the attackers into the bush.
According to them, the security forces claimed they lacked orders to pursue the terrorists and admitted that the criminals had superior weapons.
Instead, the security personnel reportedly stayed in Oke-Ode town and later withdrew, leaving the villages vulnerable.
Attacks have continued despite the supposed deployment of troops, with fresh killings and kidnappings reported in nearby Arola village.
Meanwhile, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State has come under criticism after his media aide, Olayinka Fafoluyi, posted old photographs of Nigerian Air Force airstrikes in Borno State, falsely presenting them as recent operations in Kwara.
The governor’s team claimed the airstrikes targeted terrorists in Oke-Ode, Babanla, and surrounding areas. However, a fact-check revealed that the images were originally from Operation HADIN KAI in Borno State in October 2024.
This revelation has fueled anger among residents, who accused the state government of using propaganda to downplay the severity of the security crisis.
