If This Is True: Kwara Must Rethink Its Security Strategy
The alarm raised by indigenous hunters and community leaders in Kwara South deserves the highest level of attention. They allege that the Kwara State Government has empowered members of Miyetti Allah to provide security in their communities, despite longstanding accusations that Fulani herdsmen have been behind kidnappings, killings, and the destruction of farmlands in the region.
If this is true, then the government has made a decision that strikes at the heart of public trust and undermines its primary duty of safeguarding lives and property. It would mean that a group repeatedly associated with insecurity in the eyes of many locals has been handed the responsibility of defending the same communities where the pain of herdsmen attacks remains fresh. Such a decision, if confirmed, is more than a political misstep, it is a fundamental betrayal of the people the government swore to protect.
Governance stands or falls on trust. For years, indigenous hunters in Kwara South have been the unsung guardians of their communities. With little or no support, they have defended their people against armed herdsmen and kidnappers. They know the forests, the terrain, and the routes used by criminals. They are trusted by their people because they are one of their own. To ignore these local defenders, while empowering Miyetti Allah, would be to send a chilling message that government priorities lie elsewhere, and not with the ordinary citizens crying out for protection.
From a security standpoint, the dangers of such a move are glaring. Instead of solving insecurity, it risks worsening it. Communities already traumatised by herdsmen attacks could interpret government backing of Miyetti Allah as official endorsement of their suffering. Such perceptions are explosive. They can ignite resentment, fuel communal tension, and push people toward self-help and vigilantism. Once people feel abandoned by their government, they begin to take the law into their own hands and that is a path that leads only to more bloodshed and chaos.
If this is true, then the advisers and officials who recommended such a policy to the governor have failed in their duty. No governor acts alone. Every decision is the product of guidance and recommendations from advisers, security experts, and political appointees. Good advice must weigh not only the immediate outcome of a policy but also its long-term consequences. To advise that Miyetti Allah be armed in Kwara South, while ignoring indigenous hunters who enjoy legitimacy among their people, reflects poor judgment at best and dangerous negligence at worst. It raises troubling questions about whose interests such advisers truly serve.
The political consequences could also be far-reaching. The people of Kwara South are already speaking in anger and disappointment. They feel sidelined, neglected, and abandoned. If their concerns are not addressed quickly, the ruling APC risks losing credibility and support in the region. Opposition voices will not hesitate to capitalise on this issue, painting the government as weak, insensitive, or complicit in the hardship of its citizens. And once trust is lost in politics, it is extremely difficult to rebuild.
But beyond politics lies the human cost. Families are being displaced. Communities are being deserted. Farmlands are being destroyed, leaving farmers unable to feed their households. Entire settlements nearly 16, according to the hunters are being abandoned. These are not abstract numbers; they are real people forced to flee the lands of their ancestors. No amount of political rhetoric can justify decisions that worsen their plight.
The government cannot remain silent. Silence will only breed more suspicion and anger. If the allegations are false, they must be addressed openly and with convincing evidence. If they are true, then urgent corrective measures must be taken immediately. Miyetti Allah operatives must be withdrawn, indigenous hunters must be properly equipped and supported, and dialogue with the affected communities must be prioritised. This is not only a matter of security but of fairness, dignity, and justice.
Governments are ultimately judged not by their promises but by their outcomes. If this is indeed the path that Kwara has chosen, then the government has taken a dangerous gamble one that risks alienating its own people and feeding insecurity instead of ending it. A government cannot afford to gamble with the lives of its citizens. The hunters of Ilere, Bankole, Babanla, Oreke, Owa-Kajola, and other communities are not making noise; they are raising an alarm of survival. To dismiss them is to dismiss the voice of the people themselves.
Kwara must be careful. History is unkind to governments that ignore the cries of their people. If this is true, then the state stands on the edge of a deepening crisis. The time to listen, reflect, and correct is now, before trust, once broken, becomes impossible to restore.
Insightful and informative media
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good job.