Women protesting worsening insecurity in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, during weekend were attacked and beaten by thugs linked to the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq at the Government House in Ilorin.
The women had converged peacefully in front of the Government House to demand urgent action over sustained attacks by terrorists in their community and the continued captivity of their husbands and children, many of whom they said had been held in kidnappers’ dens for months without rescue.
It was gathered that the protest was abruptly disrupted when men wielding canes reportedly emerged from within the Government House premises and descended on the women, beating both young and elderly protesters while chasing them away from the area.
A video obtained shows the moment the assailants stormed out, swinging canes and flogging the women as they screamed and fled in panic.
The attack reportedly occurred in the presence of operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, who were accused by witnesses of failing to intervene.
According to sources, the thugs were allegedly backed by the Kwara State Government and acted to violently disperse the protest rather than allow the women to present their grievances.
In one of the clips, a woman, visibly shaken and crying, narrated how residents of Oke-Ode have been left at the mercy of terrorists, forcing the women to seek government attention as a last resort, only to be assaulted.
“Please help us, they have finished us with kidnappings in Oke-Ode,” she cried.
“We are poor people. We have exhausted all our means to confront this situation. All our efforts have ended. They kidnapped our husbands and our children. Please come to our aid.”
Another woman, whose husband was abducted about a month ago, was seen sobbing uncontrollably as she pleaded for assistance.
“It is one month now since my husband was kidnapped,” she said. “Please help us.”
Residents of Oke-Ode have repeatedly complained of unchecked attacks by kidnappers operating freely in the area, accusing authorities of failing to secure their lives and property.
As of the time of filing this report, the Kwara State Government and the Nigeria Police Force had yet to issue an official response to the allegations.
On July 11, 2025, it was reported that peaceful protesters under the banner of the Take-It-Back Movement were violently attacked in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, on Thursday, allegedly by thugs linked to top aides of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
One of the victims, Comrade Musa Saidu Tsaragi, accused the Governor’s Senior Special Adviser on Security Matters, Aliyu Muyideen, and the Adviser on Social Investment, Sadiq Buhari, of orchestrating the attack to silence their protest against rising insecurity in Kwara North and South senatorial districts.
“While we were protesting, a Toyota Siena car pulled up. The front window was down, and I saw Aliyu Muyideen driving, with Sadiq Buhari in the passenger seat,” Comrade Tsaragi said.
According to him, two thugs emerged from the vehicle and began harassing the demonstrators. “One of them accused Comrade Gentle of owing him money, someone he had never met before. When we challenged him, the thug became violent. Then Sadiq Buhari pointed at me, and another thug, tall and aggressive, known as Kale punched me in the face.”
Tsaragi added that police officers later arrived at the scene, but the assailants resisted arrest and even attacked the law enforcement officers before being subdued.
“At the State Intelligence Department (SID), the thugs confessed that they were sent by Muyideen and Buhari. They accused us of being PDP agents protesting to undermine the governor,” he said.
The protesters denied any political affiliation, insisting their demonstration was purely about the security failures affecting their communities, particularly in Kwara North and South, which have suffered repeated bandit attacks.
They asked us why we were protesting against Governor AbdulRahman, insisting that the governor had done what was expected of him.
“The thugs mentioned that since the governor had appointed commissioners and special advisers from both Kwara North and South, there was no reason for our protest,” Tsaragi said.
Leave a Reply