There was serious trouble on Monday in Lafiagi, a town in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State, as angry young people went wild over the rising number of kidnappings in their community.
The protesters, mostly youths, were very upset and decided to take matters into their own hands. They blocked main roads in the town, burned tyres, and stormed two major places—the Emir’s Palace and the office of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). Sadly, they burned both buildings down during the protest.
WHY WERE THE YOUTHS ANGRY?
The protest started because of the kidnapping of a popular businessman known as Alhaji Chemical. He sells agro-chemical products and is loved by many in the community. According to reports, he was taken from his home in the Taiwo area of Lafiagi around 1 a.m. on Sunday.
Eyewitnesses said some heavily armed men, believed to be bandits, came on motorcycles. They shot at the local vigilantes (who usually try to protect the area) and took Alhaji Chemical away.
This incident made the whole community very scared and angry. People say kidnappers have been attacking the town almost every week, and no one feels safe anymore.
> “We can’t sleep with our eyes closed. Every day, someone else is kidnapped,” a sad resident said in a video shared online.
WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE PROTEST?
The angry youths, tired of waiting for help, went to the Emir’s Palace and vandalised it. Then they moved to the NDLEA office, where they set it on fire. In the process, four people who were locked up in the NDLEA cell were freed.
This made things even more serious. The whole town was in chaos.
WHAT ARE THE POLICE SAYING?
The Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, visited the town with the Brigade Commander of 22 Brigade, Sobi Barracks, Ilorin, to see things for himself.
He explained that it wasn’t just ordinary protesters, but some miscreants (bad eggs) among them who caused most of the damage.
“They destroyed parts of the Emir’s Palace and burned down the NDLEA office. They even released four suspects being held by the NDLEA b
efore running away when they saw
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