By Peter Omopo
Eruku, Kwara State — Hundreds of aggrieved youths in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, on Wednesday barricaded the Ilorin–Kabba highway to protest a deadly bandit attack on their community, accusing security agencies of failing to respond during the assault.
The protest, which began at dawn, caused a major traffic gridlock, leaving long queues of trailers and commercial vehicles stranded for hours. When PUNCH visited the scene around 1:30 p.m., the demonstrators had blocked the busy highway with bonfires, stones, and logs, preventing movement toward Kogi State.
Residents said the Tuesday night attack occurred during a church programme and lasted nearly an hour without any intervention from security operatives.
One of the protesters, Adesuyi Joshua, whose family members were abducted, described the incident as a devastating security lapse.
“We have soldiers and a police station in this area, but nothing was done throughout the attack,” he said. “They took my wife and our granddaughter, along with about 30 other people. At first, we thought the gunshots were knockouts, but soon realised the sound was different. By the time we mobilised to confront them, it was too late.”
A youth leader, Shola Peters Adetona, accused the police of negligence and alleged complicity, noting that the community had invested heavily in supporting the local police division.
“These are officers we help—this town built houses for the DPO and their men,” he said. “But when bandits struck, they failed us. Instead of joining us to pursue the attackers, they stopped us. The Inspector General must probe the Eruku police division. All they do is harass young boys and label them Yahoo boys or cultists.”
A member of the local vigilante group, who spoke anonymously, also questioned the timing of the attack, citing suspicious patterns.
“Just two days ago, the forest guards and some of our men were taken for training,” he said. “Then this attack happened. It’s similar to what happened in Oke Ode when vigilantes’ rifles were seized before an attack. The government must probe this; it doesn’t seem like a coincidence.”
Kwara State Commissioner of Police, CP Adekimi Ojo, visited Eruku on Wednesday alongside the Director of the Department of State Services, appealing for calm and assuring residents of a stronger security response. He announced that additional personnel and resources would be deployed, including an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) to reinforce the area.
“We will bring the perpetrators to justice. More men and assets are being deployed to secure this community,” he said.
The traditional ruler, Iowa Eruku Oba Busari Arinde Oyediran Olanrewaju, described the attack as painful but urged the youths not to resort to self-help.
“I appeal to our youths not to take the law into their own hands. Allow security agencies to carry out their duties,” he said. “We need more personnel and more checkpoints because many bandits driven from nearby forests are hiding around this axis.”
The assault on Eruku is the latest in a string of violent incidents affecting Kwara’s border communities, deepening concerns over the rising wave of insecurity across the Middle Belt region.
