Insecurity : Alabi Raises Alarm Over Rising Kidnappings, Urges Govt to Act as Communities Face Fresh Attacks
By Abdulsalam Ibrahim Lahdan
Night no longer falls peacefully in parts of Kwara South. In communities where the sound of crickets once defined the serenity of rural life, fear has slowly taken over. Families now sleep light, if they sleep at all. Doors are double-latched. Children whisper. Men stay awake with sticks, cutlasses or simply with prayers hoping the darkness passes quietly.
This growing climate of insecurity took a grim turn again when suspected kidnappers invaded Bayagan, a settlement in Omupo District, Ifelodun Local Government Area, abducted Ojibara of Bayagan Ile, a 4th Class Oba and threw the entire axis into fresh wave of panic.
The attack has left households traumatised and deepened the sense of abandonment felt by many communities in the region. For residents of the district, Igbomina land, and surrounding villages, the threat is no longer distant, it lives next door.
Amid this rising tension, Dr. Oluwatoyin Tajudeen Alabi, a public affairs analyst, entrepreneur, and prominent voice in Igbaja development advocacy, has raised a loud alarm, sounding a warning that resonates beyond the walls of Bayagan.
“We have reached a dangerous point where people cannot sleep with both eyes closed,” Dr. Alabi lamented.
“When the breeze begins to blow clothes out of the cupboard, those wearing theirs must not relax. Evil is gradually creeping toward the innocent. Those responsible for our safety must brace up immediately.”
Using this vivid proverb, Dr. Alabi painted a stark picture of a region edging toward helplessness. He stressed that the recent kidnapping is not an isolated case but part of a pattern of persistent insecurity that has plagued several parts of Kwara South, including Oke-Ero, Ekiti, Ifelodun, and Irepodun.
He cautioned residents to be more vigilant and community-minded, insisting that security must now become a collective effort. He, however, placed the ultimate responsibility where it belongs:
“Security is the first duty of government,” he said firmly.
“People cannot live like refugees in their own homes while those in power look away. This is the time for government at all levels to rise, reinforce, and reclaim our communities from criminal elements.”
Dr. Alabi called for stronger collaboration between local vigilantes, traditional rulers, security agencies, and state authorities.
He urged Kwara State Government to deploy more personnel, strengthen intelligence gathering, improve response times, and support rural surveillance structure, especially in hard-hit areas like Omupo District.
ThBayagan incident has once again highlighted the vulnerability of rural dwellers, who despite contributing immensely to food production and community development, remain the most exposed to banditry, herdsmen encroachment, and kidnapping syndicates.
As the dust settles on the latest attack, fear still hangs in the air. Mothers pray over their children before bedtime; farmers step out cautiously; and elders worry that the land they nurtured with peace is slowly slipping into uncertainty.
And until decisive action is taken, the people of Kwara South continue to live with the unsettling truth that nightfall no longer guarantees rest, and safety can no longer be assumed.
