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Group Calls for Independent Probe into Alleged Kwara Govt Arming of Bandits
The Crisis and Situation Monitoring Room (CSMR), a human rights advocacy organisation, has issued a strong demand for an immediate, independent investigation into serious allegations linking the Kwara State Government to the arming of criminal elements responsible for escalating banditry in the state.
The group’s intervention follows widespread public concern over claims that prohibited firearms and a government-branded security vehicle ended up in the hands of suspected bandits operating in Ifelodun Local Government Area and beyond.
In a statement, Dr. Anthony Rowland Attah, Executive Director of CSMR, sharply criticised Governor AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq’s administration for what he described as a dangerous pattern of insecurity and potential complicity that has eroded public trust.
“The allegations emerging from recent security operations are not mere rumours but point to a profound crisis of governance in Kwara State,” he said.
“Section 14(2)(b) unequivocally states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government. Yet, under this administration, communities in Ifelodun, Edu, Patigi, and other areas have endured relentless attacks, kidnappings, and killings, with hundreds displaced and lives lost.
“Arming criminals, whether intentionally or through gross negligence, transforms the state from protector to perpetrator, amounting to nothing short of state-enabled terrorism.
“We reject any attempt to dismiss these claims as misinformation without transparent accountability. The presence of a local government security vehicle in the possession of armed suspects raises unavoidable questions about oversight, procurement, and distribution chains within the governor’s apparatus.
“No state governor possesses the constitutional authority to procure or distribute military-grade weapons as confirmed repeatedly by legal precedents and federal regulations.
“To ensure an impartial process free from executive interference, we insist on a federal-led independent probe, ideally through a judicial commission of inquiry or special panel appointed by the President.
“This investigation must trace the provenance of the weapons, examine logistical support provided to alleged vigilante groups, and identify any officials involved, including those referenced in public accounts.
“Furthermore, in light of the gravity of these allegations and to prevent any tampering with evidence or witnesses, we call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to invoke necessary constitutional measures to suspend some government officials pending the conclusion of investigations.
“Such action would uphold due process, restore confidence in governance, and align with established precedents in cases of serious misconduct threatening public safety.”
Dr. Attah emphasised that CSMR’s demand stems from a commitment to constitutionalism and human rights, warning that failure to act decisively could embolden criminal networks and further destabilise the North-Central region.
The group noted ongoing insecurity trends in Kwara, including killings, reported abductions and attacks that have prompted school closures and community displacements.
The Kwara State Government had dismissed as false and misleading reports circulating on social media claiming that the Nigerian Army arrested armed bandits in Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state, describing the claims as deliberate misinformation.
In a statement by the Commissioner for Communications, Mrs Bola Olukoju, the government clarified that no such arrest took place in Ifelodun or anywhere else in Kwara State.
She stressed that the Nigerian Army did not apprehend any armed bandits within the state, contrary to the narratives being widely shared online.
Mrs Olukoju said that the government had reviewed a viral video in which some arrested individuals alleged that a vehicle in their possession was supplied by the “Ilorin Government” and that weapons were given to them “from Abuja”.
While investigations into the video and the circumstances surrounding the suspects are ongoing, she emphasised that the individuals shown were not arrested in Kwara State.
According to her, no security agency, including the Nigerian Army, reported any such arrest in Kwara.
Available information, she added, indicates that the suspects were apprehended in Auchi, Edo State, and further details are being awaited to establish the full facts.
The commissioner also refuted claims that the Kwara State Government armed any individuals, noting that no state government has the authority to distribute AK-47 rifles or similar weapons.
She pointed out that, even in the video, the suspects did not state that the Kwara State Government provided them with any arms.
Addressing the issue of the vehicle mentioned in the video, Mrs Olukoju explained that the Ifelodun Local Government Authority had earlier deployed a security van to support local vigilantes as part of efforts to strengthen security in the area.
Those vigilantes have since withdrawn from Ifelodun, but the local government had repeatedly reported that the vehicle was not returned to its pool.
She further called for stronger inter-agency coordination, intelligence sharing and cooperation among security agencies as essential measures in the fight against banditry and other violent crimes.
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