Kwara Under Siege: Bandit Kingpin Bombed, Soldiers Fall, Policeman Abducted As Violence Spirals

Ilorin, Kwara State — Kwara has been thrown into fresh waves of blood and fear as security forces intensify operations against marauding bandits. The offensive, marked by heavy aerial bombardments, claimed the life of a dreaded kingpin, Maidawa, alongside several of his fighters — yet the crisis deepened with the abduction of a police officer, heightening tension across the state.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaiye, confirmed that Maidawa — a notorious warlord who had terrorised Kwara and parts of neighbouring Kogi — was neutralised by Nigerian Air Force jets in the forests around Isanlu-Isin. Intercepts obtained by security agencies revealed that the bandit’s death was confirmed by his feared associate, “Baccujo,” a wanted kidnapper coordinating networks as far afield as Katsina.

The offensive was launched after Sunday’s bloodbath in Oke-Ode, where at least 15 people, including forest guards, vigilantes, and a community leader, were slaughtered. Military operations are now sweeping across Ifelodun, Ekiti, Isin, Edu and Patigi Local Government Areas, targeting criminal hideouts that have long served as staging grounds for kidnappings and deadly raids.

But in a chilling twist, the bandits struck back. Armed men waylaid and abducted a serving police officer, Inspector Ezra John, along the Patigi–Lade road while he was returning from duty at Patigi General Hospital. The stretch has become a hotspot for ambushes and abductions. A senior officer confirmed rescue efforts were underway, but Police Commissioner Adekimi Ojo was said to be accompanying the governor on a condolence visit to Oke-Ode.

Amid the turmoil, pro-democracy group Kwara Must Change (KMC) warned that the escalating violence is no longer a local crisis but a looming regional emergency. Its coordinator, Seko Jibril Gure, stressed that the Oke-Ode massacre should jolt the Federal Government out of complacency.

“Kwara has done all it can, but security is ultimately a federal responsibility,” KMC said. “Pushing bandits from one forest to another is not victory. Only a decisive national strategy — intelligence-driven and backed with resources — can defeat them. If ignored, Kwara will become a springboard for terrorists to spill into Osun, Ekiti and Oyo, destabilising the Southwest.”

The group urged the Presidency to deploy more troops, mount a comprehensive intelligence operation, and launch an emergency intervention to stabilise rural communities before terrorists entrench themselves further.

For many in Kwara, the death of Maidawa offers momentary relief, but the abduction of Inspector Ezra John underscores a haunting reality: the battle is far from over.