Insecurity: Kwara Orders School Closure in Five LGs

Kwara State has moved to shut all schools across five local government areas after security agencies raised alarm over renewed bandit activities creeping into communities in the southern belt of the state. 

The abrupt directive, delivered early Wednesday, triggered widespread concern among parents, teachers, and local leaders who say the region has endured a wave of violent incursions in recent weeks.

Moreover, the closure affects schools in Isin, Irepodun, Ifelodun, and Ekiti councils. Education authorities issued immediate closure instructions, citing intelligence reports suggesting unusual movements of armed groups around the affected corridors. 

A senior official in the Ministry of Education, who confirmed the order to teachers, said the directive was meant “to prevent avoidable tragedy while the government addresses the threats head-on.”

Officials of the Nigeria Union of Teachers in the state also acknowledged receiving the notice. 

They said members had been instructed to evacuate pupils, secure the school facilities, and remain on standby pending further government communication.

The mounting tension follows a deadly overnight attack in Eruku, Ekiti LGA, where gunmen stormed a church, killing three worshippers and abducting more than 30 people. 

Furthermore, the incident has deepened fears that criminal networks operating along the borders of Kogi and Ekiti States are gradually extending their reach into Kwara’s rural communities.

Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, who visited Eruku for an on-the-spot assessment, said he had spoken with top military and police commanders about the need to urgently reinforce the area. 

“This axis cannot remain exposed,” he said during the visit. “We are pushing for a Forward Operating Base of the Nigerian Army and a Mobile Police Squadron here to break the cycle of attacks.”

Residents who survived Tuesday night’s assault described scenes of terror as gunmen fired indiscriminately and moved door-to-door. 

One distraught resident, whose wife and granddaughter were taken, said the community initially mistook the gunshots for festive fireworks. 

“By the time we realised it was an attack, the village was already under siege,” he lamented, accusing security operatives of failing to respond despite being stationed nearby.

Youth leaders in the town voiced frustration, insisting the community had repeatedly supported security personnel in the past. 

They said local defenders, armed mostly with sticks and hunting rifles, attempted to repel the attackers but were outmatched by their sophisticated weapons.

Church leaders also expressed heartbreak. The pastor of the targeted church disclosed that the congregation had gathered for a thanksgiving service in honour of earlier released abductees when the bandits stormed the venue. 

“It felt like a cruel joke from fate,” he said. “People were celebrating freedom when tragedy struck again.”

Meanwhile, as news of the attack spread, aggrieved youths blocked the Ilorin–Kabba Expressway in protest, accusing security agencies of abandoning local communities to their fate. 

Travellers were stranded for hours as demonstrators insisted they would not clear the highway until authorities committed to stronger intervention.

During a subsequent joint visit, the Commissioner of Police and the Kwara State Director of the DSS assured residents that reinforcements were being deployed. 

They also announced that an Armoured Personnel Carrier would be permanently stationed in Eruku to improve rapid response capability.

Traditional rulers from the area told the governor that this year alone, repeated attacks had forced farmers off their farmlands, shrinking local food production and deepening economic hardship. 

Also, they lamented that families have been left to negotiate ransoms due to slow security response, worsened by poor road networks.

Security analysts caution that the renewed violence reflects deeper structural issues. 

They warn that as armed groups are dislodged from neighbouring states, they are using Kwara’s border forests as fallback zones. 

Without a permanent military presence, analysts fear the incursions could escalate.

Governor Abdulrazaq’s push for a Forward Operating Base and a police squadron may mark the first significant step in reversing the trend. 

However, many residents believe the real test lies in whether the renewed promises will translate into sustained security across the troubled region.