Suspected political thugs launched a violent attack on a group of women holding a peaceful protest at the Kwara State Government House in Ilorin. The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, December 29, has drawn widespread condemnation from indigenes and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Peaceful Protest Met with Violence
The women, who were from communities in Ifelodun Local Council, gathered at the seat of power on Ahmadu Bello Way. They were armed with placards, pleading with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to take more decisive action to save the Oke-Ode community from bandits. The protesters, described as mostly aged mothers, wives of kidnapped victims, and their children from Oke Ode, Agbeku, Babanla, and Adanla, came as a last resort.
Their loved ones have been held hostage for weeks, with bandits demanding ransoms running into tens of millions of naira. The situation has become so dire that entire communities have been deserted, and families have sold all their possessions.
Brutal Assault by Armed Men
During the protest, more than 30 armed men suddenly alighted from an unmarked vehicle. They were carrying horse whips, canes, rubber, wire, and other weapons. Without provocation, they began beating the women, forcing the protesters to flee in different directions. Some of the women fell into gutters during the chaotic dispersal.
The assailants were also filmed forcefully collecting the protesters' placards as they assaulted them. Videos circulating online show the women lamenting in Yoruba about their kidnapped husbands and the dire state of their communities.
Widespread Condemnation and Accusations
The attack has sparked outrage on various platforms. Many Kwara indigenes have condemned the thug attack, with some directly accusing the state government of working with the thugs. The state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) issued a strong statement condemning what it described as a brutal, inhumane, and utterly disgraceful assault on helpless women and children.
The party's state publicity secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, expressed dismay. He stated that instead of offering compassion, reassurance, or basic engagement, the traumatised citizens were met with violence. "It is unacceptable that thugs mercilessly descended on these peaceful protesters with canes and other weapons, beating, stripping, and forcefully dispersing them in full public view," Adewara lamented.
The PDP emphasized that the government's response to a legitimate cry for help was both shocking and indicative of a failure to protect its citizens. The incident raises serious concerns about security and the right to peaceful assembly in Kwara State.
