Kwara Govt Calls PDP Members 'Bandits Without Guns' As Party Makes Disturbing Claims over Insecurity
- A senior aide in Kwara has warned residents about alarming claims being shared on state insecurity
- The opposition party responded to accusations, pointing to claims made by suspects in a viral video
- Nigeria’s security agencies, however, addressed ongoing operations, urging caution over misleading reports
A senior aide to Kwara state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has lashed out at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, accusing its members of spreading misinformation capable of causing panic and unrest among residents.
Speaking during a broadcast monitored by a Legit.ng correspondent, the Senior Special Assistant on Communications to the governor, Ibrahim Lateef, described the actions of the opposition party as “destructive” and dangerous to public peace.
Source: Facebook
Lateef said, “I would like again to draw the attention of Kwarans to the antics of PDP and their spokesperson. It is not progressive. It is rather destructive.”
According to him, anyone who deliberately spreads falsehood about insecurity in the state for political gain is no different from criminals terrorising communities.
“If anybody sits anywhere to peddle misinformation and falsehood about their state or about the government for political purposes, that person is no different from a bandit. All they have not had access to is guns,” he said.
He warned residents to be cautious of narratives capable of inciting fear and unrest, stressing that the state cannot afford to battle insecurity on multiple fronts.
“And we are calling their attention to be wary of those people who want to cause panic and unrest in our land. We cannot be fighting banditry on two fronts. What we are having now, we can face it and defeat it,” Lateef added.
The governor’s aide further accused the PDP of what he described as “scheming” and “in-house banditry,” saying such conduct was deeply concerning.
“But the scheming, the antics, the plotting of in-house bandits like PDP is grossly concerning. So, we call their attention to it. They should be wary of them,” he said.
However, the PDP dismissed the accusations, insisting that it merely echoed claims allegedly made by suspected bandits arrested in the state.
PDP alleges Kwara government sponsored Oke-Ode attack
Speaking during the same broadcast, the PDP spokesperson in the state, Olushola Olusegun, alleged that the suspects had implicated the state government in their activities.
“The criminals have confirmed, they have confessed in the viral video that the government of Kwara state headed by AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, is the one sponsoring them and providing logistic support for them,” Olusegun claimed.
He further alleged that a name mentioned in the video had surfaced during a previous attack in the Oke-Ode community.
“And we know for sure, if you heard very well, take a closer look at that video, the name they mentioned, Oga Victor, we know for sure that this name had propped up in Oke-Ode during the massacre that happened,” he said.
Olusegun also referenced claims by residents of Oke-Ode following the attack, alleging that a government representative had visited the community before the incident.
“The governor visited that place, and he was saying things outside the jurisdiction of the insecurity. We allow it to go. Now, Oke-Ode people made an allegation at that time that one man representing the government, a security man, had come to their village a day before the attack, withdrew all the ammunition on the instruction of the government,” he said.
He then asked rhetorically, “Who is the government? Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq.”
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ONSA clarifies arms distribution amid Kwara reports
Meanwhile, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has reacted to reports linked to a viral video and allegations surrounding insecurity in Kwara.
In a statement issued by the Head of Strategic Communications at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), ONSA, Abu Michael, the agency acknowledged that it provides arms to vigilante groups as part of efforts to support security agencies in combating terrorism, banditry, and other criminal activities.
Michael explained that the intervention was in line with Part III, Sections 4, 5, and 6 of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022, noting that the NCTC, under the ONSA, “continues to coordinate and support law enforcement, security, and intelligence agencies in countering all forms of terrorism in Nigeria.”
He said the clarification became necessary following media reports surrounding an incident in Kwara State, where a rifle reportedly issued by the ONSA was recovered.
According to him, “recent media reports published on some online platforms” made it necessary to clarify aspects of ongoing counter-terrorism operations across the country, "particularly in forested areas of Kwara state.”
Michael explained that Nigeria’s counter-terrorism strategy includes the deployment of hybrid forces, combining regular security agencies with trained auxiliaries such as hunters and vigilante groups to operate in difficult terrains.
“This approach previously guided the engagement of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in the North East,” he said, adding that similar strategies are currently deployed in parts of the North West and North Central.
He stressed that while the situation in Kwara State is not different, some media reports were inaccurate, noting that limited public information was due to the sensitive nature of the operations.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Federal Government and its agencies are not conducting kinetic operations with any socio-cultural groups,” Michael stated.
He added that claims suggesting the ONSA had provided arms to any socio-cultural organisation were false and should be disregarded, stressing that all hybrid personnel were recruited directly by authorised security and intelligence agencies following due diligence.
“All operations are conducted in accordance with the law and established standard operating procedures,” he said, urging the public to disregard unverified reports and calling on the media to act responsibly by protecting sensitive security information and seeking clarification from designated official spokespersons.
Farmers flee farms in Kwara, turn to okada riding
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that farmers in Kwara state’s Ifelodun, Ekiti, Lafiagi, and Patigi areas have abandoned their farmlands due to repeated attacks by suspected bandits, kidnappers, and armed herders, prompting many to move to Ilorin for safety.
The displaced farmers told Legit.ng they now earn a living as commercial motorbike (okada) riders after gunmen threatened them with violence, extortion, and abduction, making farming too dangerous to continue.
Source: Legit.ng
