Help, My Constituency Is Under Terrorists S!ege’ – Kwara North Senator Petitions Tinubu

‘Help, My Constituency Is Under Terrorists Siege’ – Kwara North Senator Petitions Tinubu

Senator Sadiq reminded the Senate that security remains the primary responsibility of government under Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

The Senator representing Kwara North Senatorial District, Sadiq Suleiman Umar, has raised the alarm on the floor of the Senate over the worsening security crisis across his constituency, urging President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene before communities in the region are completely overrun by terrorists.

Moving a motion during Wednesday’s plenary session titled “Urgent Need for Federal Government Intervention to Address Re-occurring Insecurity in Kwara North Senatorial District,” the lawmaker said residents across the district have continued to suffer relentless attacks, killings, kidnappings and destruction of property despite repeated appeals for government intervention.

Senator Sadiq reminded the Senate that security remains the primary responsibility of government under Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

According to him, the security situation in Kwara North has deteriorated significantly in recent months, with armed groups launching attacks on several communities across the district.

He recalled that months after the deadly Woro massacre, many women and children abducted during the attack are still being held by their captors.

“Several months after the unfortunate Woro massacre, many women and children abducted during the attack remain in captivity, while their families continue to suffer untold hardship and psychological trauma,” the senator told lawmakers.

The lawmaker also drew attention to the recent attack on the palace of the Emir of Yashikira on the eve of the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations.

According to him, armed criminals invaded the community, set parts of the palace ablaze and abducted several members of the monarch’s family, including some of his wives and children.

Senator Sadiq further disclosed that communities in Patigi Local Government Area have continued to experience intermittent attacks and kidnappings, while several villages in Edu Local Government Area have suffered sustained assaults by armed groups.

The Senate intervention comes amid growing public frustration over the security situation in the district.

It will be recalled that prominent elders and stakeholders from Kwara North Senatorial District, under the aegis of the Kwara North Development Commission (KNDC), earlier this week warned that the worsening wave of killings, kidnappings and terrorist attacks across the region is making it increasingly difficult to mobilise support for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by the KNDC National President, Abdullahi Manzuma, and the group’s Publicity Secretary, Hajia Zainab Seko, the stakeholders said many communities had been devastated by violence, forcing residents to abandon their homes, farms and businesses.

The group claimed that more than 1,200 people have been killed by terrorists and bandits in recent years, while hundreds of others remain in captivity across the district.

According to the stakeholders, the growing insecurity has created widespread resentment among residents who increasingly feel abandoned by those in authority.

They warned that political leaders would find it difficult to campaign in communities ravaged by violence, displacement and economic hardship.

“It will be difficult to campaign to people whose loved ones have been murdered, whose family members are still in captivity and whose livelihoods have been destroyed by insecurity,” the group said.

“You cannot expect a mother who lost her son to bandit attacks or a farmer who can no longer access his farmland because of terrorists to be interested in political campaigns. Right now, survival is the concern of our people.”

The KNDC’s warning adds a political dimension to the security crisis, highlighting concerns that the deteriorating situation in Kwara North could have significant electoral consequences if urgent action is not taken to restore peace and security in the region.