By Odesola JF. PhD
With the murder of the child in Kwara State, we should all take note. Armed groups wanting millions of naira from rural communities are causing an increase in insecurity. This means every community in the South-West of Nigeria should be aware.
There are moments in time that a single incident should remind us all that something needs to change. The reported death of the child in Duruma village in Baruten Local Government Area, Kwara State is one of those moments. It is a painful reminder that armed groups are beginning to cause issues with the state and intimidate ordinary citizens. They are demanding communities hand over their hard earned resources.
Reports from the area suggest that suspected terrorists were demanding communities in Baruten pay a monthly tax of ₦10 million. However, they were denied and an explosive was believed to have been placed on the road. Whilst the 2 children were delivering food to their relative’s farm one child was killed and the other suffered a broken leg.
Whilst the allegations need to be thoroughly investigated by security agencies, it raises many worrying questions.
Who is there to protect the village whilst they travel along their farm road? What is stopping a poor family from being intimidated by armed men? How long can they put up with this?
South-West Nigeria – Do not go to sleep!
A Child Was Delivering Food
The worst part about this report is the innocence behind it.
The children were not soldiers, nor were they part of any vigilante groups. They were just children delivering food to a relative working on the farm.
They were just going about their daily errand when they were killed.
Imagine waiting for your children to come home, or waiting for the farmer to finish their work. They were just going about their daily business when they received the news that an explosion had occurred. One of the children will not be returning home and another will suffer from life changing injuries.
Behind every security issue there is a family affected.
Terrorism should never be spoken about in terms of numbers, operations and government statements. Behind every number there is a person. Every village that has been affected will have families, parents, children, farmers, traders, teachers and the elderly who just want to live a peaceful life.
The fact that children were attacked on a normal road shows the situation has gotten worse.
₦10 Million Monthly Tax
The fact they were demanding ₦10 million monthly is horrifying.
If this is proven to be true then it means they are trying to enforce an illegal tax system on the communities using fear.
This means the community will have to find ₦10 million every month. That is ₦120 million per year. For rural families struggling to afford the cost of food, farming supplies, transport, education and healthcare this could be devastating.
Who would pay? Farmers who haven’t even harvested their crops yet? Traders who rely on their weekly markets? Families struggling to feed their children?
What happens if they can’t pay?
The incident in Duruma shows this worry. The residents denied paying the tax and an explosion has been linked to the intimidation. This needs to be investigated to find out who placed the explosive and whether it was linked to the tax. However, the main issue is that armed groups feel they can intimidate communities into handing over money.
This is an attack on the freedom of the whole community.
No Nigerian should have to pay an armed group to sleep in their home, farm their land or travel along the road.
South-West Nigeria – Take this seriously!
The South-West consists of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti. Every town and village varies in terms of location, economy, population and security. However, they all share a common issue. No community is completely safe from criminal networks moving through.
Although Kwara is not yet one of the 6 South-West states, due to the location of the state it is important to be aware of what is happening in the surrounding areas. People travel between states for farming, trading, education, worship and visiting family. This means criminal networks can move through.
This does not mean every community in the South-West are occupied by terrorists however, it means that if security threats aren’t addressed early they can spread, adapt and take advantage of weaknesses.
The South-West has a variety of rural areas, farming communities, motorways, forests, border corridors and busy trading areas. Each needs to be dealt with differently.
If a threat has developed in a nearby area you should consider it.
Do not wait for something terrible to happen in your back yard.
Warnings Have Been Given
This should not be seen as an over reaction however there have been documented security issues in some areas of Kwara and surrounding areas.
In February 2026 reports surfaced that the Department of State Services had warned of a possible attack on Gbabe community in Baruten Local Government Area after a deadly attack on Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area. This shows how seriously we should take any intelligence regarding threats to rural communities.
The European Union Agency for Asylum has also documented armed groups active in Kwara and Niger states. These groups have been known to kidnap, attack civilians, force labour and illegally tax farmers and herders.
This is not a reason to panic in the South-West however it is a reason to prepare.
Criminal groups can slowly begin to make rural communities feel uneasy. Firstly, villagers hear about kidnappings in nearby communities. Farmers become scared to travel far to their fields. Eventually families begin to change their routine, businesses finish earlier and communities become reluctant to report anything suspicious for fear of retaliation.
This can cause issues with farming, children missing out on education, local businesses suffering and families leaving their ancestral homes.
Communities can begin to lose their freedom long before armed men occupy their streets. Often the first sign is people becoming fearful.
Oke-Ogun to Forest Corridors – Be Aware!
Oke-Ogun in Oyo State consists of farming communities. Farmers need to be able to travel to their land, transport their produce and sell it without being kidnapped or violently extorted.
This can apply to rural areas of Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti. Each community will need security measures specific to their area. This includes having good intelligence, policing and reacting to any threats.
This does not mean every area is facing the same threat or that terrorists have set up bases however it is important to realise that remote communities, rural roads and farming areas should be taken just as seriously as motorways and busy areas.
If farmers in a community are regularly reporting threats, suspicious payments and unusual armed groups then police, local authorities and relevant security services should look into it to see if there is a pattern.
Traditional rulers, community development associations, farming groups, transport unions and religious leaders can help create trustworthy channels.
However, we shouldn’t become overly cautious and attack innocent people based on their ethnicity, religion, job or appearance. Rumours can cause issues within the community and stop us working together to keep everyone safe.
We want to identify threats early, keep innocent people safe and ensure our communities are run by the law.
The Government Should Protect The Farmer
One of the saddest things about rural insecurity is the impact on farming.
If a farmer can’t travel safely to their fields then this will affect the whole community. The family relying on the harvest, the trader buying the produce, the transporter and the customer.
If a farming family decide to leave their land because the journey is too dangerous then they may lose their income. If enough families do this then local markets may suffer from a shortage and prices may increase. Depending on the situation, however, it shows how insecurity can impact people’s livelihoods and farming.
The fact they were demanding ₦10 million monthly in Baruten is worrying. If armed groups can force farmers to pay to access their livelihood then farming is being controlled by criminals.
The government should make protecting access to farms a priority.
This means having good intelligence, working together, investigating, keeping people safe to report and engaging with the community.
If explosives are suspected then trained explosive ordnance should be sent to assess the risk. People should be made aware to stay away from any suspicious objects.
Security services should investigate the tax and find out if the explosion was related to them refusing to pay. Those responsible should be prosecuted legally.
Those affected should receive immediate medical help, support and protection. The remaining child should receive proper treatment and rehabilitation. The family who lost a child should be shown compassion.
Our Traditional Rulers and Religious Leaders Should Not Turn A Blind Eye
The South-West has a strong culture of community leadership. Traditional rulers, religious groups, professional associations and local organisations can play a big role in identifying threats early.
If a traditional ruler receives any trustworthy information about threats to a community then they should know how to escalate it to the right people. Religious leaders should encourage people to report any genuine security threats.
Churces and Mosques can support families affected by the violence, help those displaced and encourage working together between communities.
However, they should not be expected to act as professionals. They should just help create trust, good communication and support those in need.
People should feel comfortable to share information.
If people feel like reporting a threat will put their families in danger then they may not. Creating confidential and responsive reporting channels is key.
Citizens Should Be Aware
Whilst security is the responsibility of the state, citizens can take sensible precaution.
Take any trustworthy information from recognised authorities seriously. If travelling through areas affected by reported violence then families should have a plan in place. Communities should know who to contact if they come across any suspicious objects.
Do not touch, move or try to investigate any suspected explosive. Move away and if possible warn people from a safe distance. Contact the police or relevant emergency services.
Equally, do not share any sensational messages that name any innocent people or claim certain towns have been taken over by terrorists without any trustworthy evidence.
Fear can easily spread through social media.
We need courage in our communities but we also need common sense.
ACTION REQUIRED – South-West Nigeria – Do not go to sleep!
The death of the child in Duruma should worry every Nigerian who believes children should have a safe childhood.
It should worry the farmer who is worried about accessing their fields, the parent worried about their child travelling along a rural road, the traditional ruler who wants to keep peace in their domain and the public official who’s job is to keep people safe.
Most importantly it should make us determined to stop this happening elsewhere.
The 6 South-West states need to continue working together with security services, local governments and neighbouring areas. Any threat assessments should be based on evidence and any trustworthy warnings should be addressed in a timely manner. Do not forget about rural communities as they are far from the state capitals.
The Federal Government should tackle the armed groups with good intelligence, working together and prosecuting those responsible. State Governments should support communities having legal and accountable security measures. The media should report accurately and not downplay the suffering. Citizens should remain aware. Finally, communities should not accept that they need to pay criminals to live peacefully.
Children should be able to deliver food to their parent working on the farm without walking into a death trap. Farmers should be able to harvest their crops without negotiating with gunman. Families should be able to sleep in their home without worrying about armed men turning up before morning.
These are not unreasonable requests. These are basic expectations of being a citizen in a functioning country.
CONCLUSION – Let’s Not Go To Sleep!
The reported tragedy in Duruma should be taken seriously. The allegations of the ₦10 million monthly tax and suspected explosive on the road should be investigated. Responsibility should be identified.
However, the South-West should learn from this. If communities, institutions and governments don’t address security threats then they won’t be able to be tackled effectively.
Don’t cause panic, don’t create threats and don’t blame innocent people. However, don’t ignore any trustworthy warnings.
Let this child’s death make us determined to keep vulnerable communities safe, keep farming routes safe, improve intelligence and hold those responsible accountable.
South-West Nigeria – Don’t go to sleep! Be aware, united and prepared.
Keep our forests beautiful, our roads connected, our farms providing and our villages a happy place for children to laugh.
Security isn’t just about not hearing gunfire in our cities. It’s about knowing that even in the most remote village a child can go about their daily errand and come home safe.
This is the Nigeria we need to work together to protect.
