The Kwara State Government on Wednesday ordered the closure of schools in four Local Government Areas following rising insecurity in the affected zones.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers, Kwara State Wing, announced the directive in a circular issued on Wednesday. According to the NUT Chairman, Yusuf Agboola, schools in Isin, Irepodun, Ifelodun and Ekiti LGAs were instructed to shut down immediately.
Agboola stated that the order came directly from the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, which raised concerns about fresh security threats across Kwara South.
In the circular, he wrote that all school leaders should close their institutions at once until further notice, stressing that the directive was based on the escalating security situation. He urged teachers to treat the message with the urgency it required.
He also assured that additional guidance would be communicated as developments unfold.
On the same day, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq revealed that the state would push for the establishment of a Nigerian Army Forward Operating Base and a Mobile Police Squadron in Eruku, Ekiti LGA. This followed a brutal attack on a church in the community the previous night, where three worshippers were killed and more than 35 people abducted.
During a visit to Eruku for an assessment, the governor disclosed that he had spoken to the General Officer Commanding 2 Division and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, regarding urgent security reinforcements needed in the area.
He said discussions were ongoing to ensure a permanent military presence, adding that the President had cancelled his foreign trips due to the attacks in Kwara and Kebbi.
Residents narrated their ordeal, describing the attack as traumatic and prolonged.
One victim, Adesuyi Joshua, whose wife and granddaughter were among those kidnapped, said about 30 people were taken. He explained that many initially thought the gunfire was from fireworks, only to realise it was a full-scale assault. He accused security personnel, especially the police, of failing to intervene.
He alleged that officers stationed nearby did nothing during the incident and even obstructed youths who attempted to pursue the attackers.
Another youth leader, Shola Peters, also criticised the police, saying the community had invested heavily in supporting them, yet they offered no help when needed. He called for a probe into the Eruku division and insisted the community no longer wanted the current officers. He added that the youths defended themselves with only a Dane gun and one pump-action weapon, while the attackers carried AK-49 rifles and machine guns.
The pastor of the attacked church, Pastor Lawrence Abiodun Bamidele, said the congregation was holding a thanksgiving service for 18 residents recently freed from earlier kidnappings when the gunmen invaded. He said the attackers surrounded the church and opened fire, killing three people instantly and abducting around 35 worshippers.
The Ekiti LGA Coordinator of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Kenneth Adigoke, described the attack as a direct assault on the Christian community. He warned that the scale of the violence could be seen as targeted aggression and urged the government to address insecurity more decisively.
Earlier in the day, hundreds of youths blocked the Ilorin–Kabba Expressway, protesting what they called the complete abandonment of the community by security agencies during the attack. When visited at about 1:30 pm, bonfires, stones and logs were used to barricade the road, leaving many vehicles stranded. Residents insisted the attack lasted for nearly an hour without any response from security personnel.
A vigilante member, who preferred anonymity, pointed to possible foul play, noting that forest guards and vigilantes were taken for training two days before the attack. He said a similar pattern occurred during a previous incident in Oke Ode, urging the government to investigate.
The Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, visited the community with the State Director of the Department of State Services and promised swift action. He announced that more officers would be deployed and that an Armoured Personnel Carrier would be permanently stationed in Eruku.
The Owa of Eruku, Oba Busari Arinde Oyediran Olanrewaju, told the governor that the community had endured repeated attacks since the start of the year. He said farmlands had been abandoned, teachers had fled, and residents frequently raised money to secure the release of kidnapped victims. He also noted that poor road conditions contributed to insecurity, as help often arrived too late.
The attack adds to a growing pattern of violent raids along Kwara’s borders with Kogi and Ekiti States. Experts warn that these regions have become vulnerable due to porous borders, inadequate road networks and limited security presence.
Residents believe that unless significant measures are taken, displaced bandits from nearby forest corridors will continue regrouping near Eruku and surrounding communities.
Governor Abdulrazaq’s call for a military base and Mobile Police Squadron marks the state’s strongest step yet toward establishing permanent security infrastructure in the troubled axis.
