Kwara South Refutes Banditry Claims, Emphasizes Strong APC Voter Base and Ongoing Security Efforts

Senior security officials refuted claims on Sunday that banditry and kidnapping have depopulated Kwara South and weakened its electoral clout. Elder Olaitan Oyin‑Zubair, spokesperson for the Joint Security Watch Kwara South, called the narrative that insecurity has rendered large parts of the area uninhabitable “misleading” and a tool being exploited ahead of the upcoming All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries.

Oyin‑Zubair explained that the security challenges in Kwara South stem from unregulated forest zones and porous border communities, not from the residents themselves. He emphasized that the perpetrators of recent kidnappings and attacks are “outsiders” who do not represent the local population. The incidents have been concentrated along remote routes and in sparsely guarded settlements, where the absence of a permanent security presence makes them vulnerable. “The interventions that combined intelligence, rapid response and coordinated operations have stopped several attacks, allowing displaced families to return to their farms,” he said.

He highlighted the deployment of community‑based patrols, ward‑level early warning systems, aerial surveillance of identified hotspots, and joint operations with the police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and local vigilante groups across the local government areas of Irepodun, Ekiti, Oke‑Ero, Isin and Offa. The spokesperson also cited electoral data to underline Kwara South’s importance to the APC: in the 2019 and 2023 elections, the party secured roughly 68 % of votes in Kwara South, far exceeding the 35 % it achieved in Kwara Central, where the claim of eroded voting power due to insecurity is now circulating.

“Kw​ara South is safeguarding its territory, protecting its citizens and restoring normalcy and economic activity,” Oyin‑Zubair asserted. “We will not tolerate the use of insecurity as a means of political marginalisation.” The Joint Security Watch urged residents to rely on verified information and reiterated that the zone remains safe for agriculture, trade, and the forthcoming elections. With the APC governorship contest poised to intensify, these statements aim to dispel narratives that could influence voter perception and participation in Kwara South, whose stability will be closely monitored as the primaries approach.