SPECIAL REPORT: Farmers feeling the brunt as kidnappers lay siege to Kwara communities

The folks of Igbaja in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State remember 28 September 2024 as a sad day in their community’s history. In the evening of that Sunday, Lukman Balogun, the head of the local vigilantes and a major traditional title holder in the town, was killed in an incident reminiscent of pre-colonial times.

A video that trended across the Kwara South Senatorial District in the following days shows a town crier balefully marching around the town, screaming into a megaphone: “Nwon ti pa Balogun o! Nwon ti pa Balogun o!!” (They have killed the head of the king’s warriors!) His report drew cries of horror from shocked bystanders and wailings from a group of women at a marketplace.

Mr Balogun and his vigilantes were ambushed while trailing armed men who had invaded Igbaja and abducted three persons. “It was at Ogele-Yaaru road that Balogun was killed,” a community resident told a newspaper at the time. The armed men kidnapped two more persons in nearby Kajola village before retreating into the savannah bushes.

Nearly nine months later, the tears have neither dried nor the climate of fear lifted in Igbaja and its environs. Across the seven local government areas of the southern senatorial district of the North-central state, communities live under the siege of two categories of armed persons: foreign elements ambushing road users and attacking communities to kidnap for ransom and armed herders grazing cattle into farms and mauling farmers who stand in the way.

Incidents have become so routine that they no longer make news headlines. In the two weeks that this reporter was in the area for this report, he came across social media reports of many cases of kidnapping.

One of the cases occurred on 3 June, when three persons were kidnapped in Oro in Irepodun Local Government Area. There was no information about their fate as of the time of this report. The following day, two police escorts were killed when a Nigerian and a Chinese national were kidnapped at a mining site in Oreke Oke-Igbo in Ifelodun Local Government Area.

The kidnappers later demanded a ransom of N1 billion, with the mining company said to be negotiating with them.

Paradise invaded

Kwara South was a serene and peaceful place with friendly inhabitants. Covered by tropical savannah vegetation, the landscape is dotted with urban and agrarian communities, with farming and commerce being the primary occupations of the people. The district produces various food and cash crops. The staple food crops include maize, rice, sorghum, millet, yam, and cassava, while essential cash crops like cotton, cocoa, and oil palm are also cultivated. Other crops like groundnut, melon, and benniseed are also grown. Subsistence farming is the most common but some prominent indigenes also established commercial farms.

However, this is not the best of times for the district’s residents. Many have abandoned their farms and fled their communities as hoodlums turned local people into commodities in an odious new trade.

Felicia Adesina lives in Omu-Aran, the headquarters of Irepodun Local Government Area. Like everyone else around, she had heard the news and read on social media about people kidnapped in the town and neighbouring areas. She could only imagine the physical and emotional trauma of the victims and their loved ones until the horror entered her home on 11 February.

Mrs Adesina was at home when she received a call around 5 p.m. that her 35-year-old son, Oluwajuwonlo, had been kidnapped. She rejected the message until the kidnappers asked her to speak with Oluwajuwonlo, who confirmed the dreaded reality.

Only a few days earlier, Oluwajuwon had returned home from Ilaro in Ogun State, where he had been on the one-year mandatory national youth service. He had left Omu Aran for Ilorin, the state capital, early that day with his fiancée. They were on their way back when their commercial vehicle was ambushed by five rough-hewn men totting AK-47 rifles.

“I had gone to Ilorin with my fiancée to buy a few things in preparation for the end of my national service. On our way back, our vehicle was ambushed at Eleyin village near Omu-Aran at around 4:39 p.m. They allowed me to call my mum around 5 p.m. because my father was unreachable and not home. We were released after paying a ransom to the kidnappers. The police advised my family to pay the ransom to avoid endangering our lives,” he narrated.

Sola Oladipo, a councillor at Irepodun Local Government in Omu-Aran, was in the same vehicle. The 48-year-old father of two had not overcome the trauma when PREMIUM TIMES met him in the first week of June. He warned that kidnapping and attacks on farmers would persist in the area because they are a lucrative business for the perpetrators.

Mr Oladipo said the audacity with which the kidnappers operated convinced him that the government and security agencies were helpless against the challenge.

Two months after Mr Adesina’s case, kidnappers returned to the same spot where he was kidnapped in Eleyin village. On 25 April, they ambushed two commercial vehicles and seized the seven passengers on board.

Among the passengers were the Director of Personnel Management of Oke-Ero Local Government, Musbau Amuda, and the Head of the Legal Department, Elizabeth Arinde. The victims later described the kidnappers as Bororo, an itinerant subset of the Fulani ethnic group. At Iloffa, the headquarters of the local government, some workers provided details of the incident to PREMIUM TIMES.

“Bororos kidnapped them. The kidnappers were armed to the teeth with sophisticated weapons. It was on a Friday, and the incident occurred around 5:45 p.m.”

The sources said the kidnappers demanded a ransom of N150 million, but the victims’ families, friends and the local government could only raise N50 million. They eventually persuaded the kidnappers to accept the money and release the officials.

Four days earlier, on 19 April, another incident had shocked the city of Offa. Seven indigenes travelling to Abuja were kidnapped at Obbo-Aiyegunle in the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State. The kidnappers demanded a large sum of money, 12 chickens, a bag of rice and recharge cards as ransom.

The community, led by the Offa Descendants Union (ODU), pleaded with the police to rescue the abducted persons. However, according to a source in Offa who did not want their name in print, the police advised the community to pay the ransom to avoid endangering the lives of their people.

When the community raised N14 million through some wealthy indigenes, the kidnappers collected the money but held on to the victims until they collected N42 million.

The President of Offa Descendants Union, Mueedeen Salako, declined a request to speak with PREMIUM TIMES on the development. The kidnap victims also did not agree to talk on record.

However, an official of the community who spoke to this newspaper off the record expressed disappointment in the state government and the police over the incident.

A plea for protection

On 13 June, Bababode Bojuwoye, the national president of the Oro Community Association, published an open letter to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. Oro is in the Irepodun LGA. Mr Bojuwoye, a professor of Medicine and former provost of the College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, urged the government and security agencies to deploy more personnel to the community and its environs in the heat of rampant kidnapping.

“We, the concerned citizens and residents of Oro, are compelled to bring to the attention of the Kwara State Government and security agents the alarming rate of kidnappings that have plagued our neighbouring communities.

“In recent weeks, Your Excellency may wish to recall that two people were killed while three others were reportedly kidnapped at Agbeola Oro, while about a week later, some residents of Okerimi-Oro were allegedly taken to an unknown destination by suspected bandits.

“The frequency and brazen nature of the above incidents in our neighbouring communities have created a climate of fear, disrupting daily life, and undermining our sense of security in Oro. The recent surge in kidnappings has not only caused emotional trauma for residents and citizens of our community, but it has continued to affect economic activities in Oro and neighbouring communities.”

Cavalier kidnappers

As noted by Messrs Oladipo and Bojuwoye, the failure of the security agencies to track down kidnappers enabled them to operate in a cavalier manner, with utter contempt for the laws and the authorities.

Speaking with the local The Herald Newspapers reporter, who collaborated with PREMIUM TIMES in this report, the traditional ruler of Omu-Aran, Oba AbdulRaheem Adeoti, lamented insecurity in Kwara South.

“That the challenge appears to defy solutions is mind-boggling. Kidnappers have taken over the entire Kwara South. The terrible aspect is that they often demand huge amounts of money for ransoms. They demanded N30 million from one of our sons recently kidnapped,” the king said.

“From another victim, they collected N50 million. The smallest amount they collected, of which I am aware, is N8 million.”

He recalled a recent incident in Omu-Aran when five members of a family were abducted in broad daylight. He said the community rallied to raise a huge amount of money to rescue the victims.

“Families go through harrowing experiences to raise this money. Some sold property they had laboured for years to acquire. People’s pockets are becoming dry every day due to these unconscionable acts of the kidnappers.

“Yet, Nigeria has all it takes to tackle this problem. We have the National Identity Number (NIN), and our SIM card is registered and now linked with our NIN. We have satellite communications we can deploy to track and monitor the criminals because they use phones to contact the families of their victims for ransom. We are in the digital age, and the world has become a global village. With all these technologies available and the government’s abundant material and human resources, how come the insecurity has become intractable?”

However, Mr Adeoti, a former head of the state’s urban planning and development authority, has not lost hope that the situation would be addressed.

“From the narratives of victims of kidnapping, most of the perpetrators of these dastardly acts are not Nigerians. Some of them were said to come from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Futa Jalon, Chad, Mali, Sudan, Niger, and Cameroon. These are Bororo Fulani, who are not citizens of Nigeria. Recently, there was an increase in the influx of these foreigners into Nigeria.”

Mr Adeoti said security has significantly affected Kwara South’s economy. When the reporter spoke with the Olomu of Omu-Aran at his palace in early June, he was hosting a meeting of the LGA traditional council, of which he is the chairman. The same day, the local government chairman and councillors met with the heads of the security agencies in the area, including the vigilantes, at the council’s secretariat.

At the end of the security meeting, a traditional ruler who spoke on the condition of anonymity said insecurity in Igbominaland (Irepodun, Ifelodun and Isin LGAs) and the entire Kwara South had reached a boiling point and appealed to the government at the state and federal levels to protect the people and the territory.

He said, “Once it is six o’clock in the evening, everybody goes indoors. A few weeks ago, the Iyaloja of Oko was kidnapped. It is the same story in Olla. Omu-Aran is even worse. Attacks happen almost daily.”

The traditional ruler said his colleagues had levied themselves to support local security initiatives. However, he said their vigilantes’ morale was low because of a lack of legal and institutional support. He noted that some were facing murder charges in court instituted by the police for participating in rescue operations.

Herders/farmers conflict

Reported cases of clashes between cattle herders and crop farmers have been overshadowed by those of kidnapping and other violent crimes. Overall, insecurity has affected farming activities and food production in the district. Crop farmers bear the brunt of the conflict.

Fulani herders, many of whom were forced to migrate from the northern parts of Nigeria and the deserts by conflicts and climate change, operate with little regard for local, national and international borders.

Due to ecological crises like drought, desertification, environmental degradation caused by overgrazing, and an overpopulation of humans and livestock, more herders have flocked to the southern parts of Nigeria. In search of grass and water, they often stray into crop farms. Farmers’ resistance to such trespasses usually leads to violence, forcing many farmers to abandon their farms.

Lateef Oladipo, 54, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Omu-Aran Development Association, lamented the phenomenon. He said food prices have risen in Kwara South and the entire state because many farms had been abandoned due to insecurity.

“The Boro Fulanis are the culprits of this terror. The kidnappers are wreaking damage on trade and commerce in Kwara South. The herders are also doing their own. This situation has made many abandon farming,” Mr Oladipo said.

“Some farmers I know in Omu-Aran and its environs abandoned their farms and relocated to the South-west where there is a relative. Nobody wants to invest in any environment where there is no security of life and property,” he said.

“I planted 1,100 plantain shoots in 2023, but cattle finished them. In 2024, I planted another 1,300 plantain shoots, and cattle finished them again. I complained to the owners of the cattle, and they threatened to kill me. I had to leave them for God to judge.”

PREMIUM TIMES met Joshua Bawa, a 56-year-old migrant farmer, at the Ajase-Ipo cattle market, and he spoke in the same vein.

“I live in Arandun (Irepodun Local Government Area), where I plant maize, cassava, yam and rice. Farming activities have declined in Kwara South, especially around Oke-Aran near Arandun. Many farmers have left due to the incessant attacks by herders, especially the Bororos. All the farmers in some villages in Oke-Aran have fled their homes,” Mr Bawa said.

Another migrant farmer, Musa Anas, 43, said he and his elder brother abandoned farming two years ago. They now sell foodstuff at the Kara Market in Ajase-Ipo. Lukman Aroworowon, 67, also abandoned farming after cattle ate his crops. He is now a member of the vigilantes securing the Kara market.

Funsho Afolayan, a member of the All-Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in Share, Ifelodun Local Government Area, blamed the violent Bororo Fulanis for the attacks on farmers and kidnapping.

“In Kwara South, more than 90 per cent of the population are farmers. The economy of the district depends on farming. But the farmers are facing an existential threat to life and livelihoods. Many have fled their farms, and the rest of us go to our farms with fears and anxieties. Our association (AFAN) has appealed to the federal and state governments, but they have not done enough to help solve the problems.”

Mr Afolayan said insecurity has affected food production and availability in the state.

“We have food shortages that will take time to overcome. Shortages, largely driven by insecurity, are the reason for the high cost of food in Kwara State. I read a report of a survey conducted on food security in Nigeria. 100 respondents were asked if they had access to good and adequate foods between 2023 and 2024. Only three indicated they had access to good and adequate foods. This indicates the level of hunger and impoverishment in the land.”

Kwara lawmakers seek urgent actions

After the kidnap of the Oke Ero council officials in April, the Kwara State House of Assembly passed a motion urging Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to review the state’s security architecture and strategies.

Under the motion on “urgent public importance regarding rising insecurity,” Oba Abdulkadir (Ilorin Central) urged the governor to ensure that security agencies deploy additional personnel and resources to the vulnerable communities most affected by the security challenges. The Assembly also advised the governor to establish a Victims Support Fund to assist terrorism victims and support the reconstruction of impacted communities.

How we are addressing security challenges – Kwara government

PREMIUM TIMES contacted the state government on the lawmakers’ motion and for comments on the issues raised by citizens in this report.

The governor’s chief press secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, said the government acknowledges the security concerns and accepts the safety of life and security as its primary responsibility.

“We are treating the issue as an emergency, including identifying the gaps and working with all stakeholders,” Mr Ajakaye said.

He traced the roots of the security issues to “light arms proliferation, breakdown of law and order and rise of armed and criminal groups in many neighbouring countries, the scramble for limited resources by various economic interests, and climate change.”

“In response, the government has deployed multifarious measures, including deploying armed security forces and increasing economic activities and opportunities, to curb crimes and check the activities of persons who seek to take advantage of these issues for selfish economic and political gains.

“This is obvious in its different job-creating programmes and support for farmers, herders, business owners, and young people through free training, farm inputs, tractors and other implements, the LPRES and AcreSaL initiatives, interest-free loans and support through the Kwara State Social Investment Programme, jobs through the garment factory, employment to the civil service especially teachers, doctors and other health workers, and tech opportunities and vocational training through Kwara Coding and Digital Literacy Programme, Innovation Hub, and International Vocational, Technical & Enterpreneurship College (IV-TEC), among many others.

“The government is also constructing rural and urban roads spanning hundreds of kilometres across the state, leading to job creation, improved access to the farming communities, and reduced security breaches as a result of poor access. In Kwara South alone, the government is currently constructing 67 km of state roads, apart from the RAAMP projects.

“These efforts have helped to continually lubricate the economy and put inflation in check. For instance, at seven per cent, food inflation is lowest in Kwara State, according to a report of the NBS published by the Agora Agency.

“But beyond these non-kinetic measures, the state funds standby security operations drawn from the police, military, vigilante, and others, while collaborating with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to run special operations to eliminate threats to the people. The state, in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, has at least four FOBs to mobilise troops for any emergency. This is fully funded by the state government, along with efforts to track their electronic communications for effective policing, arrest, and prosecution.

“The state, working with the ONSA, is also training and will deploy in the next few weeks close to 1000 forest guards to strengthen security in the areas deemed vulnerable. This is all designed to protect the lives and properties of the people and eliminate any threats to them.

“The state has also invested resources to end herders-farmers’ clashes through advocacies and putting in place infrastructures that make violent encounters almost impossible. This is what the Livestock Productivity & Resilience Support Project (LPRES) does, offering alternative water sources, feed production, and social amenities to herders. The establishment of the Ministry of Livestock Development serves to coordinate the government’s efforts better.

“Finally, the government continues to work with communities and security agencies to tackle the crisis of civic virtue, which is seen in the unfortunate connivance between some community folks and kidnapping rings. Many arrests and prosecutions have been made in this regard.

“We are confident that the imminent deployment of forest guards across our communities will go a long way to flush out unwanted elements from our forests and starve them of the space to plot or launch their evil attacks on the people,” Mr Ajakaye said.

We don’t encourage ransom payments – Police

Many respondents in this story who were either victims or had their family members kidnapped alleged that the police often encouraged them to negotiate with kidnappers for the release of the victims.

When asked to react to the allegation, the state police public relations officer, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said the police frowned at ransom payments.

“In most cases, the negotiations are conducted without our knowledge. We always ask family members to share whatever information they have with us, but many ignore the advice out of fear that the kidnappers may torture or kill the captives. No police officer will advise that ransom should be paid to a kidnapper,” Mrs Ejire-Adeyemi, a superintendent of police, said.

She also denied that the criminals were operating with impunity in the area.

“These incidents are not only in Kwara South; they are happening in other parts of the state, and we are making arrests almost daily. We have arrested more than 150 suspects across the state this year alone.

“The police are working with sister security agencies, including the army. We are also collaborating with local vigilantes because they know the terrains better and can monitor the movement of strangers. Kidnappings rarely happen without the connivance of insiders. That is why collaboration with the local people is necessary to crack or prevent crime. The police are not helpless or relenting. The Force Headquarters recently deployed more officers to help us in the state, and we are constantly reviewing our operations. So, it is not true that the criminals are operating freely,” Mrs Ejire-Adeyemi said.

Government taking strategic steps to address challenge – Officials

The state government recently created the Ministry of Livestock Development, emulating the federal government’s similar step.

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES, Muhammed Umar, the Director of Livestock Service at the new ministry, said the government wants to restrict herders to the 17 grazing zones it has created across the state.

“The government is aware of the grievances of both crop and livestock farmers. The government wants to use the ministry to drive change. It intends to change the orientation of the herders from their traditional practices of open and unrestricted grazing. Things have changed. Nigeria and Kwara can no longer tolerate the old cultural practice of mobile livestock, especially open grazing by pastoralists, especially Fulanis. They have to embrace modernisation and key into government programmes on ranching or restricted grazing. It will benefit all the stakeholders, including the herders and the farmers. Unrestricted roaming of cattle is no longer fashionable anywhere in the world,” Mr Umar said.

The director said the government was aware of the observation that Bororo Fulanis were mostly driving kidnapping in the state. But he urged against stereotyping an entire ethnic group over the criminality of a few members.

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“If that is the general and popular opinion. I think it might be true. We have had many instances of these cases. But this is not to say every Bororo is a kidnapper. Every one of us has a role to play. We have to change the Fulanis. They have to be compelled to abandon their old tradition of pastoralism. They have to go to school and adapt to change.”

For the average citizens in Kwara South, whatever the government does is commendable only if it rescues their communities from the terror of the brutal outlaws.

This reporting was completed with the support of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID)