Oke Ode Residents Lament as Soldiers Withdraw During Bandit Attack in Kwara State

Residents of Oke Ode in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State have expressed frustration and grief following a deadly bandit attack that claimed several lives. Survivors revealed that soldiers deployed to the area declined to engage the armed assailants, citing a lack of official orders to open fire.

“We told the soldiers to fight against the bandits that attacked us in Oke Ode, but they said they hadn’t been given orders to engage. The soldiers were later withdrawn, and even the guns of local hunters were taken away,” one resident recounted.

The attack, which left multiple victims dead including security operatives and community leaders, has intensified concerns about worsening insecurity in rural communities across the state.