Royal Palace in Turmoil as Community Battles Escalating Bandit Attacks
The security landscape in Kwara State has been thrown into fresh controversy as the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested the wife of Oba Aliyu Alabi Yusuf, the Arojojoye II of Babanla in Ifelodun Local Government, alongside his personal assistant, over allegations of aiding terrorists through a Point of Sale (POS) business.
According to security sources, the monarch’s wife allegedly operated a POS outlet that served as a channel for ransom payments, while the aide reportedly managed the disbursement of suspicious funds to criminal networks. Both are currently being interrogated at the DSS headquarters in Abuja.
The shocking arrests come just weeks after a viral claim circulated online alleging that monarchs in Kwara, including the “King of Babanla,” had been nabbed with N120 million linked to banditry. At the time, the police dismissed the reports as fake, and fact-checkers revealed that the widely shared photos were AI-generated.
However, the DSS clampdown appears to give fresh weight to suspicions of high-level complicity in the worsening insecurity plaguing parts of the state.
Royal Legal Battle and Sudden Withdrawal
Earlier this month, Oba Yusuf had dragged several individuals to court for defamation after they accused him and his family of collaborating with terrorists. But in a sudden twist, the monarch withdrew the suit on September 15 following interventions from community elders and stakeholders who appealed for peace.
Communities Under Siege
The unfolding scandal comes against the backdrop of relentless attacks in Ifelodun Local Government and beyond. Residents of Babanla, Shegbe, Ologomo, Alabe, and Oreke have repeatedly been forced to flee their ancestral homes amid waves of kidnapping, killings, and armed raids.
In July, terrorists stormed Babanla, abducting two teenage girls — Aisha Yahaya and Mariam Yusuf, aged 16 and 17 — after firing sporadically into the air to disperse locals.
Barely weeks later, in August, suspected Fulani bandits unleashed terror on motorists along the Rore and Aranorin communities in Irepodun LGA, killing at least three people in a bloody ambush. Eyewitnesses described the attack as a well-coordinated assault by gunmen who emerged from forest hideouts, riddling vehicles with bullets before fleeing.
Mounting Tensions, Growing Fear
The latest development has left residents deeply unsettled, with many expressing fears that the DSS revelations could escalate tensions if not managed properly. Community leaders are now calling on the Federal Government to intensify security operations in Kwara’s troubled areas before the situation spirals further out of control.
As the nation watches closely, the palace of Babanla has been plunged into silence, with neither the monarch nor his representatives issuing a public statement on the arrest of his wife and aide.
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