‘We Have Been Shouting For A Long Time’ – Oyo Community Residents Say Warnings Ignored As Terrorists Take Over Forests, Kill Villager

Residents of Kisi in Irepo Local Government Area in Oyo State have alleged that repeated appeals to the state government and local authorities over the activities of suspected terrorists operating within the area were ignored, despite growing fears that the criminals had established bases inside nearby forest reserves.

Speaking with SaharaReporters, several residents described a worsening security situation which they said had been building for months before the recent attacks that claimed lives and left several others injured.

According to the residents, the armed groups had long been moving freely across communities around Kishi, using forests and reserve areas as hideouts while residents repeatedly alerted government officials and security agencies about the threat.

“We have been shouting for a very long time,” one resident told SaharaReporters.

“We informed the government, traditional leaders and security agencies that strange armed men were moving around our communities. We warned that they were gradually settling inside the reserve, but nobody appeared to take our concerns seriously.”

Residents said youth leaders first visited the local government chairman’s office and later travelled to Ibadan, the state capital, shortly after the Oriire incident in which schoolchildren and teachers were kidnapped, to report the presence of strange armed men moving through their communities.

Residents said their worst fears were confirmed when gunmen carried out two separate attacks along the Kishi–Igbeti Road, a vital route relied upon for business and daily travel.

During the attacks, a resident identified as Mr. Kayode was killed, while at least five other victims sustained serious injuries.

“The attack did not come as a surprise to us because we had been warning about it,” the resident said.

“These people have been operating around here for some time. They stop vehicles, attack travellers and disappear into the forests. We knew something worse would happen if nothing was done.”

Several residents voiced frustration, saying authorities only seemed to act after lives had already been lost.

“This current government is not helping the situation as well because they always wait until people are killed before paying attention,” the community member alleged.

“What is painful is that this tragedy could have been prevented if the warnings from residents had been taken seriously.”

The residents further claimed that fear has spread across the area’s communities, with many people now reluctant to travel on certain roads, especially in the early morning and evening hours.

According to them, economic activities have also suffered as farmers, traders and transport operators increasingly fear attacks from armed groups operating in and around the forests.

The resident described the situation as a “slow takeover” of rural communities by criminal elements.

“People are afraid. Farmers are afraid to go to their farms. Travellers are afraid to use the roads. We feel abandoned,” the resident said.

The latest complaints by Kisi residents come against the backdrop of growing insecurity in Oriire Local Government Area of the state, where communities have faced attacks and abductions.

In recent weeks, concerns have intensified following incidents involving the abduction of schoolchildren within the local government area, sparking widespread fear among parents and residents.

Residents said the abductions in Oriire should have served as a wake-up call for both Oyo State Government and the Nigerian Government to strengthen security operations and respond more aggressively to intelligence provided by local communities regarding the movement of terrorists within the forests.

Instead, according to community members, warnings continued to go unheeded until the recent attacks on the Kishi-Igbeti Road resulted in the death of Mr Kayode and injuries to several others.

“We don’t want more deaths before action is taken. We have been living with this threat for too long. Government must act now before the situation becomes completely uncontrollable,” the resident added. (SaharaReporters)