Women from Oke-Ode community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State were on Sunday attacked and flogged by suspected hoodlums while protesting the rising cases of killings and kidnappings in their area.
The women, who staged a peaceful demonstration at the Government House in Ilorin, demanded urgent government intervention to halt what they described as relentless attacks by terrorists and kidnappers, lamenting that several of their husbands and children were still being held in captivity.
Videos of the incident circulating on social media showed the protesters being chased, beaten and dispersed by thugs in the presence of security operatives, sparking public outrage.
Some of the women were seen crying uncontrollably as they narrated the ordeal they endured during the protest.
One of the protesters, speaking in anguish, pleaded for help, saying, “They have finished us with kidnappings in Oke-Ode. We are poor people and we have exhausted all our means. They have kidnapped our husbands and our children. We are helpless. Please come to our aid.”
The attack has drawn widespread condemnation, with many Nigerians accusing the administration of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of suppressing peaceful protests and failing to protect vulnerable citizens.
Human rights activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, condemned the assault, describing it as unconstitutional and barbaric.
“I unequivocally condemn Governor Abdulrazaq’s intolerance and high-handedness in sanctioning or, at the very least, permitting such barbaric acts against citizens exercising their constitutional right to protest.
“Violence against women and children is unacceptable in any democracy,” Sowore said.
However, the Kwara State Government distanced itself from the incident, with Governor Abdulrazaq expressing outrage over the attack and ordering the police to identify and prosecute those responsible.
In a statement issued on Monday by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, the governor said peaceful protest was a fundamental democratic right.
“The women are within their rights to express their views. We distance ourselves from this incident as it does not represent the values of this administration. The police have been directed to find the attackers and bring them to book,” the statement read.
The governor described the assault as unacceptable and reiterated his administration’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property across the state.
He added that the government was intensifying efforts to tackle insecurity, noting that on Saturday, December 27, he personally presided over the passing-out parade of newly recruited armed forest guards tasked with flushing out kidnappers and terrorists from forested areas of the state.
“This is in addition to the heavy deployment of security forces and other strategic investments aimed at securing our communities,” the statement added.
The incident has once again raised concerns over the safety of citizens protesting insecurity and the growing menace of kidnappings in parts of Kwara State.
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