By Peter Dansu Fear has gripped several rural communities in Kwara State following the circulation of chilling threat letters by suspected ...
By Peter Dansu
Fear has gripped several rural communities in Kwara State following the circulation of chilling threat letters by suspected terrorists, warning of imminent attacks and forcing many residents to abandon their homes.
Investigations revealed that within the last six days alone, four communities have received such letters, sparking widespread panic across vulnerable areas of the state, report according to Punch newspaper stated
One of the latest threats was reportedly delivered on Thursday in Ira, a community linking Inaja and Aho towns in Oyun Local Government Area. The development followed an earlier warning sent to Dunshigogo community in Kaiama Local Government Area, days after the deadly February 3 attack on Woro town, where more than 176 people were killed and 38 abducted.
Residents of Ira, Inaja and Aho have since begun relocating to neighbouring towns out of fear of a possible assault.
A copy of one of the letters, signed by “The Writer (SANUFH),” claimed to be from a group identifying itself as the Nigeria Terrorist Association. The content of the letter, reproduced below exactly as written, reads:
“This message is from Nigeria Terrorist Association, NTA. Our motor: we kill, we kidnapping, and destroying. No town or place that is scared us to destroy… We search and gaddering information before we rade. We heared about this town Ira, you people strong, and have many powerful man to face our organisation. Be ready for us at any time any date, noting concern us about your oracle or powerful we left kaiama we move to Ira, Inaja, Aho and town around.”
Although the authenticity of the letter has not been independently verified, its impact on the communities has been immediate and severe.
Ira, a border settlement close to Ilemona, the headquarters of Oyun LGA, lies along a corridor linking several rural towns considered highly vulnerable due to their proximity to forest belts often exploited by criminal groups.
A traditional chief in Ira, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, explained how the letter surfaced.
“The letter was dropped around 2:30pm to 3pm at the okada riders’ park close to Ira Central Mosque by two men on a motorcycle. At first, the riders thought it was a mistake and kept it. When they later read it, they rushed it to the palace. Once Kabiyesi saw it, he immediately contacted security agencies,” he said.
According to the chief, officers from the Department of State Services and the police arrived later that day, while soldiers and personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have since intensified patrols across Ira, Inaja and Aho.
Despite the visible security presence, fear continues to dominate daily life.
“This is the first time we are experiencing something like this. People are scared. Some families have already moved to nearby towns because nobody knows what is coming. Our vigilante members are currently in Ilorin for forest guard training. We are appealing to the government to allow them return quickly to help secure our communities,” the chief added.
As uncertainty deepens, residents are urging state and federal authorities to strengthen security across rural corridors and forest regions to prevent another wave of deadly attacks and mass displacement in Kwara State.
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