Okunland in Kogi state is bleeding. In less than a year, communities that once rose with the sound of market horns and evening prayers now count bodies, bury chiefs, risk being kidnapped and watch their farms and schools emptied by terror. On September 10, gunmen ambushed a police checkpoint at Ofili near Egbe in Yagba West LGA , killing three police officers, 3 vigilantes and leaving residents terrified.
Headlines on national media are only the newest flare in a string of brutal attacks that have carved fear across our towns. Sometime last year, Odo-Apé community in Kabba-Bunu LGA was sacked and farmers were killed – an assault that prompted a governor’s order for a crackdown.
Even in neighboring Kwara’s Ifelodun LGA, the Ganmu-Alheri – Babanla axis has endured repeated raids, kidnappings and killings in August, attacks so severe entire villages were deserted and residents fled en masse.
Taken together, these are not isolated criminal acts; they are a campaign of terror against Okun communities. From Odo-Apé through ambushes reported in May, to swarming raids in August and the checkpoint massacre at Egbe in September, there have been at least five confirmed, major attacks on Okun communities since January 2025, each captured on national media and reported by community outlets.
This moment demands more than outrage; it demands unity and action. Okun indigenes – farmers, traders, market women, youth groups, chiefs, religious leaders, and every household must come together to protect what is ours.
Terrorists exploit division. Where communities are fragmented, where suspicion replaces coordination, criminals find safe corridors. Where we stand together, share timely intelligence, and back security operations with local knowledge, those corridors close.
Practical steps every Okun community must take now;
- Report, don’t tolerate. Every sighting, strange vehicle, or large motorcycle convoy must be reported immediately.
- Form accountable community response teams. Well-trained, recognized vigilance groups coordinated with police.
- Share intelligence across borders. The Egbe attacks show the killers move across Kogi–Kwara.
- Protect vulnerable locations. Schools, markets, checkpoints must be prioritized.
- Engage elders and faith leaders. Chiefs and clerics must lead calls for unity.
- Demand action from government and stay on them. Governors and security chiefs must be held accountable.
A particular plea to Okun youths
You are the backbone of this resistance. Turn your energy away from revenge and toward disciplined community defence. Volunteer for intelligence networks, protect markets, and serve as the eyes and ears of your town.
To security agencies
We salute the bravery of police and soldiers who have given their lives attempting to block these attacks. But bravery must be matched with strategy: better intelligence-sharing with locals, rapid response to ambushes, and dismantling terror cells along our borders. Communities will support lawful, well-coordinated operations but they need to see results.
The choice before us:
Okunland is not a battlefield surrendered by fate; it is home to farmers, traders, church choirs, and schoolchildren. If we allow panic to fracture our resolve, the attackers win by default. But if we stand united, coordinated with our security agencies, led by our elders and youth, and relentless in exposing and denying sanctuary to criminals. Okunland will survive this dark season.
This is a call to every Okun son and daughter: bury our dead with dignity, but do not bury our courage. Lock your doors, but open lines of communication. Mourn, but organize. Pray, but also patrol. Our land, our people, and our future depend on whether we choose unity today.
Today it is Egbe. Tomorrow, it maybe Ife Olukotun.
Together We Stand, Divided We Fall.
– Onibiyo Segun reports on terrorism and conflicts for TruthNigeria.
