Coalition disputes allegations of unrest in Kwara South prior to polls

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A socio-security group, Joint Security Watch Kwara South, has rejected claims that rising insecurity has significantly reduced the population and electoral relevance of the district ahead of the All Progressives Congress governorship contest in Kwara State.

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The group said reports portraying the area as deserted due to banditry and kidnapping were misleading and aimed at undermining the zone politically.

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Speaking in a Sunday statement, the group’s coordinator, Olaitan Oyin-Zubair, said criminal incidents recorded in parts of Kwara State were not unique to Kwara South and should not be used to profile or define the people of the area.

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“Banditry and kidnapping in Kwara entered through ungoverned forests and weak border points.

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“They are not indigenous to Kwara South and do not define our people,” Oyin-Zubair said.

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According to him, most of the attacks recorded in recent years occurred in remote communities and along vulnerable routes where security presence was initially inadequate.

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He maintained that coordinated responses by security agencies and local vigilante groups had significantly improved the situation.

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Oyin-Zubair added that many residents who fled affected communities had gradually returned to their farms following intensified surveillance and joint security operations.

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The group also rejected suggestions that insecurity had weakened Kwara South’s electoral value within the APC.

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Oyin-Zubair said voting records from previous elections showed the district remained one of the party’s strongest support bases in the state.

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He stated that the APC performed better in Kwara South during the 2019 and 2023 elections than in other senatorial zones, particularly Kwara Central.

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As part of ongoing efforts to curb criminal activities, the group said surveillance, intelligence-sharing networks and early warning systems had been strengthened across several local government areas, including Irepodun, Ekiti, Oke-Ero, Isin and Offa.

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Security agencies involved in the operations include the police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and local vigilante formations.

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“Kwara South is securing its land, protecting its people, and restoring normal life and economic activity.

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“We will not accept the use of insecurity as a tool for political exclusion,” Oyin-Zubair added.

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The group called on residents and political stakeholders to avoid spreading unverified information capable of creating fear or tension in the state.

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Recent insecurity concerns in Kwara South have sparked renewed public debate over safety and economic disruption in rural communities across the district.

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Community leaders in the region recently called for the temporary closure of cattle markets, arguing that they had become linked to criminal networks and the logistics of bandit activities.

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The demand followed earlier decisions by local authorities to shut down the markets in 2025, a move that was later reversed after consultations with traditional rulers.

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Since then, reports from stakeholders have pointed to continued attacks, displacement of residents, and reduced farming activities in parts of Ifelodun, Ekiti, Oke-Ero, Isin, and Irepodun local government areas.

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