Insecurity Sparks Youth Uprising in Kwara: NDLEA Office Burnt, Emir’s Palace Damaged

In Lafiagi, Kwara State’s Edu Local Government Area, tensions increased on Monday as angry youths protested growing banditry and insecurity.
Mostly local youngsters, the protesters reportedly took to the streets early in the morning to express their annoyance at the spate of terrorist attacks, kidnappings, and murders that have afflicted the area in recent weeks.
An NDLEA office in Lafiagi was set on fire during the protest, which quickly descended into violence. Additionally, the demonstrators broke into the Emir of Lafiagi’s palace and damaged a number of windows and other features.

According to a resident who spoke, the protest was long overdue because of the extreme levels of insecurity and anxiety.
“In silence, we have been weeping and dying. Every week, someone is abducted. No one is taking any action to change the fact that we no longer sleep with our eyes shut, including the governor, the chairman, and even the emir, the resident claimed.

The protest was a reaction to months of pent-up resentment over the state government’s purported quiet, according to another source.

“Young people are weary, and the government is not taking any concrete steps,” he remarked. Both the governor and our chairman refuse to assist us.

“The attacks are intensifying.” That’s why today’s kids protested. They visited the offices of the security agency and the Emir’s palace. They set fire to the NDLEA office.

Numerous kidnappings in Lafiagi and the surrounding areas had preceded the protest. Three residents were reportedly abducted in different instances within the last 48 hours alone.

One of the most recent victims was a well-known Point of Sale (POS) agent who was kidnapped in Lafiagi town on Sunday night and only known as Yman. Two Hausa men were captured following a bloody attack on Kokodo village early on Monday, and a small girl barely survived after running into the jungle.

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“The attacks are getting out of hand.” On the evening of Sunday, the POS man was abducted. The two other Hausa individuals were also abducted this morning,” a community member revealed.

Despite alerting security personnel and vigilante organizations and conducting search operations, he continued, no communication had been made with the abductors as of yet.