By Joseph Erunke

A security advocacy group, Joint Security Watch Kwara South, has strongly rejected claims that banditry and kidnapping have crippled communities in Kwara South and weakened the zone’s political relevance ahead of the 2027 governorship contest.

The group described the narrative as “false, politically motivated and dangerous,” warning against the use of insecurity as a weapon to sideline Kwara South in the race for power within the All Progressives Congress, APC.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Coordinator of the group, Elder Olaitan Oyin-Zubair, insisted that criminal activities in parts of Kwara were not peculiar to Kwara South and should not be used to portray the region as deserted or politically disadvantaged.

“Banditry and kidnapping in Kwara entered through ungoverned forests and weak border points. They are not indigenous to Kwara South and do not define our people,” he declared.

Oyin-Zubair explained that attacks recorded in some communities were largely concentrated in isolated routes and settlements with limited security presence, stressing that swift intelligence gathering and coordinated security operations had helped repel attacks and restore normalcy in affected areas.

According to him, several displaced residents have since returned to their homes and farms as security improves across the zone.

The group also moved to counter what it described as attempts to undermine Kwara South’s electoral strength within the APC, citing voting statistics from the 2019 and 2023 elections.

It claimed that Kwara South recorded the highest APC performance in the state with 68 per cent electoral success, compared to 35 per cent in Kwara Central.

The statement alleged that those promoting the insecurity narrative were doing so to diminish the zone’s chances in the unfolding governorship calculations within the ruling party.

“Kwara South is securing its land, protecting its people, and restoring normal life and economic activity. We will not accept the use of insecurity as a tool for political exclusion,” Oyin-Zubair stated.

Highlighting ongoing efforts to tackle insecurity, the group disclosed that community-led patrols, ward-based early warning systems, air surveillance over flashpoints, and joint operations involving the police, NSCDC and local vigilantes were currently ongoing across Irepodun, Ekiti, Oke-Ero, Isin and Offa local government areas.

The group urged residents and political actors to rely on verified information and avoid spreading fear, insisting that Kwara South remains safe for farming, business activities, residence and electoral participation.