The Kwara State Government has ordered all schools in four Local Government Areas to close immediately because of rising insecurity in the region.
The directive was confirmed on Wednesday by the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Kwara State Wing. In a circular signed by the NUT Chairman, Yusuf Agboola, schools in Isin, Irepodun, Ifelodun, and Ekiti LGAs were told to shut down without delay.
Agboola said the order came straight from the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development after officials raised concerns about fresh security threats in Kwara South.
The circular read, “Comrade chairmen, this is to inform you and through you, all schools in the above local governments of the instruction to close down all schools with immediate effect until further notice.”
It added, “This decision was occasioned by the security challenges ravaging the area and the efforts of the government to control the situation. Treat this information as important and with the urgency it deserves, as it emanated from the ministry.”
He assured teachers that more updates would be sent as things unfold.
The move came less than 24 hours after a deadly bandit attack on a church in Eruku, Ekiti LGA, where three worshippers were killed and more than 35 people abducted.
Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq visited the community on Wednesday and said he would push for a Forward Operating Base of the Nigerian Army and a Mobile Police Squadron to be set up in the area.
The governor said, “We will speak with the GOC to see that we have a Forward Operating Base in Eruku to enhance security here and also talk to the Inspector General of Police about establishing a mobile squadron here.”
He added, “It is indeed unfortunate what happened yesterday despite all the effort we have been making. All the security agencies are on this. The President had to cancel his trip to the G-20 because of this incident and that of Kebbi State. So the President is aware and we are on top of the situation.”
A resident, Adesuyi Joshua, who lost his wife and granddaughter to the kidnappers, described the attack as a terrifying experience.
“They took my wife and our granddaughter, who were in the church, along with about 30 other people. At first, we thought the gunshots were knockouts, but the sound changed. By the time we mobilised ourselves to confront the attackers, it was too late,” he said.
He accused security agents of failing to help the community during the attack.
“We have soldiers around this place. We also have a police station, but nothing was done throughout the attack. When we were pursuing the bandits, the police started shooting from their gate. When we got to the station, they tear-gassed us and allowed the attackers to escape,” he alleged.
Another youth leader, Shola Peters, also criticised the police.
“These are the same police officers the town supported. We built houses for the DPO and the men. When we needed them most, they failed us,” he said.
He added, “Instead of joining us to pursue the bandits, they stopped us. The Inspector General needs to probe the Eruku division. All they do here is harass young boys and tag them as Yahoo boys or cultists.”
Pastor Lawrence Abiodun Bamidele, the leader of the attacked church, said the congregation was holding a thanksgiving service for 18 rescued kidnapped victims when the gunmen struck.
“We were thanking God for their safe return, not knowing that danger was lurking around,” he said. “They came in and surrounded the church, shooting sporadically. Some who ran outside were shot from a tree, which one of the bandits climbed.”
He said three people died immediately, while about 35 members were abducted.
Pastor Kenneth Adigoke, the Ekiti LGA CAN Coordinator, said the community saw the attack as a direct threat.
“This attack is just like a direct assault on the Christian community and the body of Christ,” he said. “Look at the situation that happened yesterday, they entered the church and killed three people on the spot, and kidnapped about 35.”
Earlier in the day, angry youths blocked the Ilorin–Kabba Expressway, accusing security agencies of abandoning them during the attack. Bonfires, stones, and logs were used to block the road, leaving motorists stranded for hours.
A vigilante member claimed there were suspicious signs before the attack.
“It was on Sunday that they took the forest guards and some of our men for training, and two days later the bandits attacked. This is similar to what happened in Oke Ode when rifles were collected from vigilantes before an attack. The government must probe this,” he said.
Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, who visited the area with the state DSS Director, promised swift action.
“We will bring the perpetrators to justice. We are deploying more men and resources to secure this area,” he said.
The Owa of Eruku, Oba Busari Arinde Oyediran Olanrewaju, told the governor that the community had suffered repeated attacks since the beginning of the year.
“All teachers in the community have run away, and two of those who stayed were among those kidnapped yesterday,” he said. “We always contribute money to free people kidnapped on their farms, on the road, or even in their houses.”
Security analysts say the Eruku attack is part of a wider pattern in Kwara’s border areas with Kogi and Ekiti, where bandits fleeing military raids regroup and launch fresh attacks.
Governor Abdulrazaq’s push for an army base and a police squadron is seen as the government’s first major step toward setting up a permanent military presence in the troubled zone.
