Oke-Ode Massacre: Youths Urge Tinubu to Declare State of Emergency in Kwara

The Kwara South Youth Congress (KSYC) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Kwara State, following escalating insecurity that claimed 15 lives in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun Local Government Area, last Sunday.

In an open letter to the President, KSYC described the situation as “dire,” noting that entire communities in Kwara South have been forced to relocate due to repeated bandit attacks. The appeal was signed by the group’s President, Dr. Oluwatobi Afolayan, and Public Relations Officer, Mr. Bashir Adejare.

“Since January, over 200 individuals from major towns in Kwara South have been kidnapped, with Ifelodun being particularly hard-hit. Communities such as Babanla, Oreke, and Ganmu Aliheri have faced repeated attacks, forcing residents to abandon their homes,” the letter read.

The Oke-Ode killings, in which 15 people including a traditional leader were murdered, further underscored the urgency of federal action. According to KSYC, local vigilantes who tried to resist the attackers were killed after military support was withdrawn.

The group also linked the surge in attacks to the influx of armed groups into Kwara earlier in the year through northern entry routes, warning that unchecked violence could displace more communities.

KSYC proposed four measures to address the crisis: establishing a special security force to combat kidnapping and banditry, sensitising rural dwellers on security awareness, temporarily relocating military bases to vulnerable areas, and enforcing death penalties for convicted violent offenders.

“We believe that with timely intervention, Kwara South can be stabilised and lives secured,” the statement concluded.