The Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of a “collapse of leadership” following the reported attack on women protesters at the Kwara State Government House in Ilorin.
In a statement released on Monday, the PDP condemned what it described as a violent assault on women and children who had staged a peaceful protest over rising insecurity in Ifelodun Local Government Area.
The protesters, mostly women from Oke Ode, Agbeku, Babanla, Adanla and nearby communities, had gathered at the Government House to demand urgent action over the continued abduction of their relatives, allegedly kidnapped by bandits. Videos circulating on social media showed the women lamenting in Yoruba that their husbands and family members had been held for weeks, with ransom demands reportedly running into tens of millions of naira.
The statement, signed by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Adewara, said the women turned to the Government House as a last option after exhausting other means to secure the release of their loved ones.
According to the PDP, the protest was met with violence, as hoodlums allegedly armed with canes and other weapons attacked, stripped and forcefully dispersed the demonstrators.
“It is unacceptable that peaceful, grieving women and children were reportedly beaten and humiliated in full public view instead of being heard,” the party said, alleging that the attackers acted under the influence of the state government.
The opposition party also accused officers of the Nigeria Police Force of standing by during the attack without intervening, describing the incident as a serious breach of public trust and constitutional responsibility.
The PDP called on the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to investigate the incident and ensure that both the attackers and any officers who allegedly failed in their duty are brought to justice. It also urged President Bola Tinubu and international human rights organisations to look into what it described as the state government’s failure to protect citizens from kidnapping and banditry.
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Meanwhile, the Kwara State Government has dissociated itself from the attack. In a statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq described the incident as unacceptable and ordered the police to arrest those responsible.
“Peaceful protest is a democratic right, and the women are within their rights to express their grievances. This incident does not reflect the values of this administration,” the statement said.
As of the time of filing this report, the police had yet to issue an official statement on arrests or the status of investigations.
