Tensions flared in Lafiagi, Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State, on Monday as angry youths set fire to the Emir’s palace and the Natio...
Tensions flared in Lafiagi, Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State, on Monday as angry youths set fire to the Emir’s palace and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) office during a protest over growing cases of kidnapping in the area.
The unrest was sparked by the abduction of a prominent agro-chemical dealer, popularly known as Alhaji Chemical, who was reportedly kidnapped from his residence in the Taiwo area of the town around 1am on Sunday by gunmen suspected to be bandits.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers, who arrived on motorcycles, overpowered local vigilantes with heavy gunfire before taking the businessman away.
A resident, speaking anonymously, described the incident as “well-coordinated and targeted,” stressing that the victim's high-profile status suggested the kidnappers had planned the attack with precision.
In reaction, angry youths took to the streets on Monday, burning tyres, blocking roads, and demanding immediate action from the government and security agencies.
In a viral protest video, one aggrieved resident was heard saying:
“The situation is getting out of hand. We can’t sleep with our eyes closed anymore. People are being taken almost weekly now.”
The protesters decried the rising spate of kidnappings, citing the recent abduction of a young Point-of-Sale (PoS) operator as another example of unchecked criminality in the town.
Confirming the unrest, Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, told reporters that the protest escalated into acts of arson and destruction.
“The protest was organised by some miscreants who damaged louvre windows at the Emir’s palace and set the NDLEA office in the town ablaze,” Ojo said.
According to him, the demonstrators also freed four suspects in NDLEA custody before fleeing upon sighting security operatives.
“The miscreants ran away when they saw the police and soldiers approaching. They even released four suspects who were in detention at the NDLEA office,” Ojo added.
The police commissioner disclosed that he and the Brigade Commander of 22 Brigade, Sobi, Ilorin, were on the ground in Lafiagi coordinating a search-and-rescue operation.
“As I’m speaking with you now, the police, soldiers, hunters, and local vigilantes are all combing the bushes in Lafiagi in search of those kidnapped,” he said.
“The Brigade Commander has also addressed residents to restore calm.”
The incident follows a series of violent events in the state. Just last week, the Kwara State Police Command confirmed the abduction of a 12-year-old girl, Hassana Abdullahi, at Gaa Ayetoro, Lile village, and the killing of three persons in Mari village, Patigi LGA.
As the security crisis deepens, residents are urging the state and federal governments to treat the rising wave of kidnapping with urgency to prevent further breakdown of law and order.
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