Tensions have escalated in the Oke-Ode community of Kwara State after a series of renewed attacks reportedly claimed multiple lives and triggered a mass exodus of residents.
Disturbing footage shared on social media captures the anguish of locals—some mourning the loss of loved ones, others hastily fleeing in fear.
One particularly harrowing video features a woman in deep sorrow, mourning her husband’s death. Through tears, she accuses the authorities of turning a blind eye to the violence, saying:
“They have killed my husband, I have no one, I am the one videoing myself. Kwara state government, they have killed my husband. The Department of State Services gave guns to Miyetti Allah after collecting guns from Yoruba Vigilantes.”
She went on to describe the sequence of events during the attack, explaining:
“My husband was coming home, they broke the glass of the vehicle he was in and killed him and his brother, they killed 14 persons. They killed 10 vigilantes and took away husband and wife.”
Visibly overwhelmed with grief, she continued: “We currently are at Oke-Ode, the community is scattering, even the Police cannot do anything, they are not in control of anything. This is my husband, Ishola, I cannot run from his corpse, I cannot run from my husband’s corpse.”
Alleging the government of negligence, she said: “The government kept quiet and sent the DSS, the DSS failed to use any helicopter except at night, while the attackers now came in the afternoon. They came 7am in the morning, you all can see me, you can see me.”
A video obtained by SaharaReporters shows residents of Oke-Ode hurriedly evacuating the community, gripped by fear of further attacks. People were seen boarding vehicles and tricycles (Keke Napep), desperate to escape the growing insecurity.
“We’ve tried everything, but we’re exhausted,” one resident lamented. “Even students are fleeing.”
This latest wave of displacement has intensified calls for urgent government intervention as communities across Kwara State grapple with violence and instability.
On Sunday, SaharaReporters detailed a deadly assault in Oke-Ode, located in Ifelodun Local Government Area. The Kwara State Police Command later confirmed that 12 vigilante members, including the Baale (traditional leader) of Ogbayo, were killed when gunmen stormed the area around 7:00 a.m., firing indiscriminately.
The violence continued into Monday, when armed bandits abducted two sons of a youth leader in Essanti village, Patigi Local Government Area. The victims were seized around 1:30 p.m. while returning from their farm.
According to NupekoTV, the abductors told the victims they were heading to Essanti after hearing that villagers had begun fleeing due to repeated night raids. A source who later spoke with the kidnappers revealed that the abduction was intended to intimidate the community and discourage further resistance.
Also on Sunday night, Marri Village in Patigi LGA came under attack. Amid heavy rainfall between 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m., bandits killed one person, injured another, and stole several motorcycles.
Fortunately, the Nigerian Army responded swiftly to a distress call, recovering all stolen motorcycles from the fleeing assailants. While the military’s intervention provided temporary relief, residents say the broader security crisis in Kwara North remains unresolved.
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