Nottingham Forest and Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi has appealed for peace in his home state of Kwara after a string of deadly terror attacks sent shockwaves across the region and ignited nationwide concern.
The situation escalated on Tuesday when a viral video captured the aftermath of an attack on a church in Kwara State.
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According to reports, three people were killed, while the pastor and several congregants were kidnapped.
In a separate incident along the Ilorin–Kabba road, travellers and residents were ambushed by heavily gunmen, another strike in what has become a troubling pattern of violence spreading beyond Nigeria’s northern axis.
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These incidents have dominated the Nigerian social media space, fuelling outrage and fear.
They also surfaced just days after US President Donald Trump warned that America could deploy its military in response to what it perceives as widespread killings of Christians in Nigeria, a statement that further intensified public debate.
Against this backdrop, Awoniyi, one of Nigeria’s most influential footballers and a proud son of Kwara, where he grew up and where his foundation operates, used his platform to call for calm.
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Posting on Instagram on Wednesday, he invoked Kwara’s long-standing identity as “The State of Harmony.”
“The State of Harmony is one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria, reflecting the peaceful coexistence among one another with different religions and beliefs. Peace shall reign,” Awoniyi wrote.
“Kwara State stands for peace, and that’s what we stand for.”
Awoniyi’s words reflect the emotional weight of a home under distress, but they also highlight the limits of influence in a crisis far bigger than any individual.
Will Awoniyi’s call stop the attacks?
Realistically, no. His voice carries weight, especially among the youth in Kwara, but the escalating insecurity is rooted in years of structural failure.
For years, terror attacks were largely concentrated in Nigeria’s core northern states. That pattern has now expanded, with violent groups pushing deeper into other regions.
The term “bandits” has often been used to describe them, but the scale and coordination of their operations reflect genuine terrorism, not petty criminality.
Government response has been widely criticised as slow, inconsistent, or ineffective. And without decisive intervention, communities remain exposed.
ALSO READ: Live-streamed video captures terrorists attacking Kwara church
For Kwara, traditionally one of the country’s calmest and most religiously tolerant states, these attacks strike at the heart of its identity.
Residents are calling for strong, immediate action, not just words, to prevent further loss of innocent lives.
In response to the request by the governor of Kwara State, President Bola Tinubu has ordered the deployment of more security men to Eruku and the entire Ekiti Local Government Area of the state, and directed the police to go after the bandits who attacked worshippers.
As Awoniyi emphasised, Kwara stands for peace. But peace now demands more than hope; it demands security forces, intelligence coordination, and political will.
For the State of Harmony, the fight to remain harmonious has never been more urgent.
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