Youths Protest Killing Of Vigilance Group's Head In Kwara
Youths in Kajola village, Igbaja community, Ifelodun Local Government, Kwara State, have taken to the streets to protest the murder of Chief Lukman Balogun, the commandant of a local vigilante group.
Chief Balogun, who was killed on Monday evening, was also a traditional ruler, holding the title of Jagun of Elese Igbajaland.
The protesting youths, who have threatened to destroy the community, accused Bororo cattle herders of committing the crime. The protests intensified after news spread of another kidnapping involving three people in the same area.
According to reports gathered by The Guardian, Chief Balogun was part of a team pursuing kidnappers who had earlier abducted three prominent residents.
"It was on the Ogele-Yaaru road that our Balogun was killed," a source revealed.
The Chairman of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) in Kwara State, Comrade Afolabi Lukman, described the late security stalwart as a thorn in the side of criminals.
"He assisted the police significantly in curbing crime in Igbajaland," Afolabi recalled.
He urged the state government to bolster
security measures, saying, "This is a major setback for the state's security architecture."
Meanwhile, the monarch of Igbajaland, Oba Ahmed Awuni Babalola Arepo III, urged the protesters to remain calm, describing Chief Balogun's death as a significant loss for the community. He assured the youths that the perpetrators of the heinous act would be apprehended and brought to justice.
Additionally, the Chairman of Ifelodun Local Government, Alhaji Abdulrasheed Femi, who led a delegation to the area, expressed condolences to the community and assured them that every effort would be made to track down the killers.
Attempts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Toun Ejire-Adeyemi, were unsuccessful, as multiple calls went unanswered.
At the time of filing this report, security personnel, including the Army, State Security Service, and police, had been deployed to the community.
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