Afenifere, Pan-Yoruba Socio-Political Organization, has condemned in its entirety the brutality, dehumanizing and assaults meted on protesting Women who stormed the Kwara State Government House, protesting against the spate of insecurity in some parts of the State.

 

The Women Protesters were beaten to a pulp, as many scamper for safety with some of them running from been brutalized naked and half naked.

 

Condemning the act, Afenifere described it as a “sadistic” irony in a country where citizens are increasingly at the mercy of kidnappers and terrorists.

 

In a strongly worded statement released on Monday by its national publicity secretary, Jare Ajayi, the group expressed alarm over the worsening security situation across the federation. Afenifere maintained that peaceful protest is an inalienable right, particularly for citizens seeking government protection.

 

The protest by the Women from Oke-Ode community in Ifelodun LGA, Kwara State, to the Government House in Illorin, Kwara State Capital was on a ‘Save Our Soul’, SOS, Mission to the Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq led Government over the incessant killings and Kidnapping in the area.

 

The protesters, who claimed they could not raise the millions of naira demanded by kidnappers for the release of their husbands and children, were seen being flogged by suspected thugs near the entrance, as Police and other Security Officials watched unperturbed as the thugs unleashed terror on the innocent Protesters.

 

Though, the Kwara State Governor, and the State Police Command have condemned the attack and promised an investigation, Afenifere insists that such incidents highlight a growing trend of criminalizing victims rather than their victimizers.

 

The Pan Yoruba Group also drew parallels to a recent incident in Kabba, Kogi State, where residents protesting incessant banditry were reportedly met with tear gas by security forces.

 

​”It is both ironic and unacceptable that a government entrusted with the protection of lives and property would instead criminalise peaceful protest, while bandits roam freely, killing and kidnapping law-abiding citizens,” the statement read, quoting local community leaders.

 

It further listed a harrowing catalog of recent violence across the country, including: the New Year’s Eve bombing of a police station in Ipele, Ondo State; the December 2025 abduction of a former Ogun State lawmaker and a customs officer in Osun State; the killing of the Olukoro of Koro-Ekiti, Oba Olusegun Aremu-Cole, and the rising notoriety of the Benin–Owo–Ipele axis and the North-Central region for banditry.

 

The Group however Criticised the current administration’s strategy, noting that the security agencies appear “overwhelmed” by a lack of modern tools, inadequate manpower, and internal complicity.

 

The group suggested that the pattern of attacks points to a coordinated effort by sponsors to seize control of mineral-resource-rich areas through fear.

 

“Security agencies appear to be making efforts, but they are being hindered by gaps in community-level intelligence gathering and a lack of necessary skills for the present situation,” Ajayi said.

 

This development has also led to the renewed call for State Police from the Afenifere.

 

The Group urged President Bola Tinubu to turn the promises made in his New Year message into tangible results.

 

The organization emphasized that “unveiling the sponsors of banditry” and the immediate commencement of State Police are non-negotiable steps toward restoring national security.

 

The organization further call for a shift toward “kinetic and non-kinetic” approaches—combining military force with sophisticated intelligence and community mapping—to deter attackers before they strike.