BY Muinat Usman
The Kwara State Government has been urged to integrate local vigilantes and hunters into a structured forest guard system to address rising insecurity across the state.
The Sarki Fulani of Kwara State, Alhaji Adam Abdullah, made the call during a press briefing in Ilorin.
Alhaji Abdullah said local hunters and vigilantes are best positioned to secure forest areas because of their deep knowledge of the terrain and surrounding communities. He dismissed the growing tendency to label his people as criminals, insisting that those behind recent violence are outsiders exploiting weak security structures.
He stressed that the vast majority of community members are peaceful and have themselves become victims of violent attacks and heavy ransom demands by armed bandits.
According to him, tracking the perpetrators has been made difficult by porous borders and shared languages, which allow criminals to infiltrate communities and blend in unnoticed. He added that the bandits typically operate from forest hideouts, carry out kidnappings and attacks, and vanish without a trace.
The Sarki Fulani appealed to the government to strengthen security presence, support community-based policing, and formally engage educated local youths as vigilantes and forest guards who understand the forest terrain better than external security forces.
Alhaji Abdullah also highlighted economic pressures fueling tension, particularly the lack of designated grazing land for cattle, noting that the situation has worsened conflicts and left pastoral communities vulnerable. He urged authorities to protect innocent citizens while isolating criminal elements.
Alhaji Abdullah emphasized that strong cooperation between communities and the police, backed by local intelligence and government support, remains the most effective path to restoring lasting peace.
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