By Charles Pemu 
KWARA STATE – Fury erupted in Lafiagi, the capital of Edu Local Government Area, on Monday as enraged youths stormed and set ablaze the Palace of the Emir of Lafiagi and the local office of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The destructive protest was a desperate outcry against the relentless wave of kidnappings tormenting the community.
Tension had been building in Lafiagi, reaching a boiling point following the latest abduction of a well-known businessman. Earlier on Monday, residents had taken to the streets, blocking roads and burning tires, demanding immediate government action before their anger escalated into the torching of the two key public buildings.
A viral video circulating during the protest showed residents expressing their alarm over the escalating insecurity, citing the recent abduction of a young man running a Point of Sale (POS) business as further proof. “The situation is getting out of hand,” one resident lamented in the video. “We can’t sleep with our eyes closed anymore. People are being taken almost weekly now.”
The immediate spark for the Monday night violence was the abduction of a prominent agro-chemical dealer, widely known as Alhaji Chemical. Locals reported that Alhaji Chemical was snatched from his home in the Taiwo area around 1:00 a.m. on Sunday by gunmen suspected to be bandits. The attackers, arriving on motorcycles, reportedly overwhelmed local vigilantes with heavy gunfire before escaping with the businessman. Community sources believe the operation was carefully planned, targeting the victim due to his prominence.
Lafiagi residents are now urgently appealing to security agencies to increase patrols, aggressively pursue the kidnappers, and ensure the safe return of all those abducted.
Confirming the volatile incident, Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adekimi Ojo, stated that he was in Lafiagi on Monday alongside the Brigade Commander of 22 Brigade Sobi, Ilorin. He described the protesters as “miscreants” who caused damage to the Emir’s palace and set the NDLEA office ablaze.
“The miscreants who ran away on sighting the Police and the Soldiers also freed four suspects who were in detention at the NDLEA office, Lafiagi,” Commissioner Ojo revealed in a telephone conversation.
“As I’m speaking with you now,” he added, “the Police, Soldiers, hunters, and local Vigilantes are in the bush in Lafiagi in search of those kidnapped by the bandits after I and the Brigade Commander have addressed them.”
The development has cast a fresh pall of anxiety over Lafiagi, where residents describe kidnapping incidents as alarmingly frequent, underscoring the severe challenge facing security forces in the area.