Byline: Security Desk
Kwara State Police have pledged justice after gunmen killed 12 people, including the Baale of Ogbayo, in Oke-Ode on Sunday.
Facts & Reactions:
Police PRO SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi confirmed patrols have been stepped up. Commissioner Adekimi Ojo called the killings “heinous” and vowed: “Justice will be served.”
Four survivors remain hospitalised, while residents mourn vigilante members who fell resisting the attackers.
Why Vigilantes Are Becoming Targets
Analysts warn bandits now deliberately target vigilantes to weaken community resistance. “This is a strategy of fear — destroy grassroots defenders, and you control territory,” said criminologist Abiodun Fatai.
Ripple Effect: Security Promises vs Local Reality
The contradiction is glaring: government pledges stronger patrols, but villagers lament abandonment. Videos show grieving families saying: “We are on our own.”
The killings raise fears of vigilante collapse in Kwara, leaving rural communities more vulnerable.
Forward Motion: Justice or More Violence?
Police and military patrols continue, but locals doubt lasting change. Without systemic reforms, insecurity in North-Central Nigeria may only deepen.
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