On Sunday, September 28, the residents of Oke-Ode, a quiet agrarian community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, were jolted from sleep by the deafening sound of gunfire.
According to The Punch, what unfolded was more than just another bandit raid—it was a massacre that tore through the soul of the town.
By the time the smoke cleared, no fewer than 15 people had been confirmed dead. Among the victims were hunters, vigilantes, traders, a traditional leader, and young men who had stood as the community’s first line of defence. Families were kidnapped, entire compounds emptied, and hundreds of terrified residents fled in panic.
Oke-Ode, once regarded as the safest town in the Igbomina axis, now lies deserted. Markets that once bustled with activity have gone silent. Sachet water sellers have disappeared, bread is no longer available, and the only thing in circulation across the town is fear.
Some of those who lost their lives in the attack were identified as the Baale of Ogba Ayo, Abdulwasiu Abdulkareem; his brother, Fatai Abdulkareem; a prince from Agunjin, Ishola Muhammed; and Abdulfatai Elemosho from Babaloma. Others included Salaudeen Bashir from Babaloma; Saheed from Abayan; Olowo-Ila from Oke-Ode; Oluode Ologomo; Oji; and Saheed Matubi.
Amid the grief and mourning, survivors raised concerns over what they described as a suspicious security lapse. A grieving widow went as far as accusing operatives of the Department of State Services of complicity in the attack, alleging that the security agents had disarmed the hunters and handed the weapons to herdsmen.
However, Rafiu Ajakaye, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, dismissed the allegation, stating that there was no truth to the claim. He further noted that even the leadership of the forest guards had refuted it.
But a local hunter, who narrowly escaped with his life and spoke on condition of anonymity, insisted that their guns had indeed been taken away shortly before the bandits struck. He narrated how the hunters had tried to confront the attackers, who were heavily armed with sophisticated weapons.
The hunter said it was only those who had never experienced a real fight that would boast of their bravery. He described the encounter as a fierce and bloody battle, explaining that while the hunters fought back with all they had, they were eventually overwhelmed by the sheer number and firepower of the bandits.
“We gave them fire for fire,” he said, “but the bandits were many.”
Further talking, he said, “A military officer had collected most of our guns the previous day, saying he wanted to service them.
“Immediately, he collected the guns, he kept them in the house with bullets.
“He slept at Ajase, and maybe it was one of those supplying the guns that hinted them that the guns had been recovered from us, and that they should start coming.
“That was the way I thought about it because since the guns were given to us, nobody attacked us.
‘But it was the day he collected the guns and bullets for servicing that those people attacked. That looked suspicious.”
He lamented that the few guns left in their possession to defend themselves were grossly inadequate. He explained that if the weapons had not been collected and everything had been available to them, the bandits would not have been able to carry out the attack so easily.
According to him, the attackers succeeded largely because the hunters had insufficient guns and bullets to match their firepower.Continue, Full, Reading>>>>
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