11/03/2026
TACKLE RISING INSECURITY IN EKITI COMMUNITIES, REPS URGE FG
The House of Representatives on Wednesday called on the Federal Government to strengthen security presence in communities within Ekiti North I Federal Constituency following a surge in kidnappings, killings and other violent crimes in the area.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by the House spokesman, Akin Rotimi, during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas.
Moving the motion, Rotimi recalled what he described as a growing wave of kidnappings, killings and violent attacks across several communities in Ekiti North I (Ikole/Oye) Federal Constituency, particularly in the Oke-Ako, Ipao, Irele, Itapaji, Iyemero and Ijowa axis of Ikole Local Government Area.
He said, “The House notes the recent reports of kidnapping incidents along the Oke-Ako/Ipao/Irele corridor where criminal elements operating from nearby forests have abducted residents, farmers and travellers, thereby creating widespread fear and insecurity among the local population.
“We are aware of a particularly disturbing incident in late February 2026 in which a middle-aged woman was reportedly abducted, sexually assaulted and killed by kidnappers in the Ajoni area, after which the perpetrators allegedly demanded a ransom of ₦1.5m together with illicit drugs and other unusual items before releasing the victim’s remains.”
The lawmaker lamented that during attempts by members of the community to negotiate or deliver ransom in connection with the incident, “additional individuals were reportedly abducted by the same criminal group, further escalating tensions and insecurity within the affected communities within Ekiti State.”
Rotimi also drew attention to attacks on farmers in the Irele axis, noting that several residents had been kidnapped while working on their farmlands.
He said, “An elderly woman popularly known within the community as ‘Mummy Isaac’ was reportedly killed during an attack.”
He further told lawmakers that some victims had been held in captivity for extended periods, including a resident of Oke-Ako who reportedly spent about two weeks in captivity before regaining freedom in February 2026 after being transported across state lines.
The House spokesman warned that armed criminal groups have increasingly entrenched themselves in the forests surrounding the affected communities.
He said, “The House observes that the communities of Itapaji, Iyemero, Oke-Ako, Irele, Ijowa and Ipao have reported that armed criminal groups have effectively occupied surrounding forests and rural routes, using these locations as operational bases for kidnapping and attacks on residents.
“The forests along the Ekiti–Kogi–Kwara border corridor have increasingly been exploited by criminal groups as hideouts from which attacks are launched on rural communities, thereby complicating security operations and allowing perpetrators to evade arrest.”
Following the adoption of the motion, the House urged the Federal Government, through the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army and other relevant security agencies, to immediately intensify security operations in the Oke-Ako, Ipao, Irele, Itapaji, Iyemero and neighbouring communities in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State.
The House also called on the Office of the National Security Adviser to coordinate a joint security operation involving relevant federal agencies to identify and dismantle criminal camps operating in forests around the Ekiti–Kogi–Kwara border axis.
In addition, the lawmakers mandated the House Committees on Defence, Army, Police Affairs, and National Security and Intelligence to engage with the relevant security agencies to ascertain the measures being taken to address the situation and report back within four weeks.
They further urged security agencies to strengthen intelligence gathering and surveillance operations in the affected communities and surrounding forests to prevent further attacks.
In recent months, several rural communities in northern Ekiti have experienced a troubling rise in kidnapping and violent attacks, particularly in areas bordering neighbouring states.
Communities within Ikole Local Government Area have been among the hardest hit, with farmers, traders and travellers frequently targeted by criminal gangs.
Security analysts and community leaders have linked the growing insecurity to the vast forest belts stretching across the boundaries of Ekiti, Kogi and Kwara states.
These forests have reportedly become safe havens for armed groups who launch attacks on rural settlements and highways before retreating into the difficult terrain.
Residents of affected communities have repeatedly raised concerns about inadequate security presence and the vulnerability of farmers who must travel long distances to their farmlands through isolated rural routes.
