Kwara Banditry Crisis: Schools Shut in 4 LGs, Abdulrazaq Begs Army for Permanent Base After Eruku Church Bloodbath
By: Abudu Olalekan
Banditry Kwara forces government to close schools across four local governments while demanding military base after deadly church attack in Eruku.
Schools are shutting down across four local governments in Kwara State. Not for holidays. Not for exams. Because of bandits.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers announced the directive Wednesday, and it wasn’t a suggestion—it was an emergency order straight from the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development.
Isin, Irepodun, Ifelodun, and Ekiti LGAs. All schools closed with immediate effect. No timeline for reopening.
The Trigger
Tuesday night changed everything for Eruku community in Ekiti Local Government Area. Bandits stormed Christ Apostolic Church while worshippers were holding a thanksgiving service. Three people died on the spot. Over 35 were abducted.
The irony is painful. They were thanking God for the safe return of 18 people kidnapped three weeks earlier. While celebrating that rescue, another attack happened.
Pastor Lawrence Abiodun Bamidele, the President Pastor of the church, still sounds shaken recounting it. “We were thanking God for their safe return, not knowing that danger was lurking around.”
The attackers came prepared. AK-49 rifles. Machine guns. They surrounded the church and started shooting. One bandit even climbed a tree to pick off people trying to escape.
Where Were the Security Agents?
This is where things get messy.
Adesuyi Joshua lost his wife and granddaughter in the attack. He’s angry, and he’s not hiding it. “We have soldiers around this place. We also have a police station, but nothing was done throughout the attack,” he said.
But it gets worse. When community members tried pursuing the bandits, the police allegedly started shooting from their gate. Then they tear-gassed the vigilantes who were trying to help.
“When we got to the station, they tear-gassed us and allowed the attackers to escape,” Joshua alleged.
Shola Peters, a youth leader, didn’t mince words either. “These are the same police officers the town supported. We built houses for the DPO and the men. When we needed them most, they failed us.”
He wants the Inspector General to probe the Eruku division. “All they do here is harass young boys and tag them as Yahoo boys or cultists,” Peters said. “Let the government give us guns; we can protect ourselves.”
That’s how desperate communities are getting.
Government Response
Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq visited Eruku for on-the-spot assessment. He announced plans to seek establishment of a Forward Operating Base for the Nigerian Army and a Mobile Police Squadron in the area.
“We will speak with the GOC to see that we have a Forward Operating Base in Eruku to enhance security here,” the governor said.
He also mentioned that President Tinubu cancelled his G-20 trip because of this incident and the Kebbi abduction. That shows how serious it’s gotten.
Meanwhile, in a circular obtained by Reportersroom, NUT Chairman Yusuf Agboola confirmed the school closures were “occasioned by the security challenges ravaging the area.”
The circular was blunt: “Treat this information as important and with the urgency it deserves.”
The Bigger Picture
Pastor Kenneth Adigoke, coordinator of Ekiti LGA Christian Association of Nigeria, sees something darker. “This attack is just like a direct assault on the Christian community and the body of Christ,” he said.
He’s not entirely wrong to be concerned. Attackers targeting worshippers during service sends a particular kind of message.
The Owa of Eruku, Oba Busari Arinde Oyediran Olanrewaju, told the governor that attacks have been happening all year. “Our farmers have run away, both indigenes and non-indigenes. The bandits have been disturbing us for a long time, but most of it does not get to the outside world.”
Teachers have fled. The two who stayed were among those kidnapped Tuesday.
Community Resistance
Hundreds of angry youths blocked the Ilorin-Kabba Expressway Wednesday morning. Bonfires, stones, and logs stopped traffic for hours. Trailers and commercial vehicles were stranded.
One vigilante raised suspicious timing. “It was on Sunday that they took the forest guards and some of our men for training, and two days later the bandits attacked.”
He compared it to what happened in Oke Ode, where rifles were collected from vigilantes shortly before an attack occurred. “The government must probe this. It doesn’t look like a coincidence.”
What Happens Next?
Commissioner of Police Adekimi Ojo promised swift action and said an Armoured Personnel Carrier would be stationed permanently in Eruku.
But residents have heard promises before. They’ve been contributing money to ransom kidnapped farmers, travelers, and neighbors for months.
The governor’s push for a military base is the first major step toward permanent security presence in the area. Whether it comes soon enough is another question entirely.
For now, schools remain closed. Communities remain terrified. And families are waiting for 35 people to come home.
