202
By Oscar Okhifo
No fewer than 10 people were killed, several others injured and abducted when armed men stormed Oke-Ode community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State on Sunday.
Those who lost their lives include the Baale of Ogba-Ayo village, Sefiu Wahab Balogun and two other residents, identified as Oji and Saheed Metubi.
The victims’ bodies were deposited at the local police station, while survivors with gunshot wounds were rushed to the General Hospital in Shareh.
According to an eyewitness who identified himself as Mutiu, the attackers arrived in the early hours, shooting indiscriminately before striking the vigilante duty post and scared off the local defenders.
Shockingly, warnings had been raised the previous night after the gunmen were sighted, but the alarms did not prompt urgent action from security agencies.
This dereliction of duty left the community vulnerable, a pattern that has become all too familiar in bandit-infested regions.
The attack in Oke-Ode is not an isolated tragedy.
Across the North-Central and North-West, bandits operate with impunity killing, maiming, and abducting without mercy.
They collect ransoms in the millions, while governments at all levels behave as though the criminals are invincible.
“If the government cannot protect us, let there be a statement to that effect so we can negotiate with the bandits. These killings are too much and government inaction is unfortunate.” Said Ajetumobi, a resident of the community.
Military operations, when announced, are hardly coordinated with neighbouring states or local councils to achieve lasting results. This has ensure only temporal peace.
Worse still, some governors have gone so far as to openly negotiate with these killers, granting them the legitimacy of dialogue rather than the brute force they deserve.
Such pampering has emboldened the criminals, turning vast swathes of Nigeria into hostage territories where residents cannot sleep without fear.
The National President of Oke-Ode Community Development Association, Alhaji Ganiyu Ajala, condemned the killings, urging immediate and decisive action to restore security.
The Kwara State Police Command merely confirmed awareness of the attack and promised further details.
Nigeria cannot continue on this path of weak responses and official indifference. Until governments abandon appeasement and confront banditry with resolve and coordination, peace and freedom will remain distant dreams for citizens trapped in the crosshairs of terror.