Kwara Monarch Whose Wives, Children Were Abducted Signs Full-Page Newspaper Advert Praising Tinubu, AbdulRazaq Over APC Primaries

The Emir of Yashikira, Alhaji Umaru Usman Seriki Saabi Kpassi II, whose wives and children were recently abducted by suspected terrorists, has appeared in a full-page newspaper advertisement praising President Bola Tinubu and Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq over the outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in the state. 

The monarch, alongside other first-class traditional rulers from Baruten Local Government Area, was listed in the advert congratulating President Tinubu and Governor AbdulRazaq for a “peaceful and successful” APC primary exercise, which reportedly resulted in the zoning of the party’s governorship ticket to Baruten LGA.

The advert has since ignited anger among residents, who accused the traditional rulers of prioritising partisan political interests at a time when communities in the area continue to grapple with worsening insecurity, kidnappings, and violent attacks.

The controversy is further deepened by the fact that the Emir of Yashikira is still reeling from a recent midnight attack on his palace, during which suspected bandits reportedly abducted members of his immediate family, including his wives and children, and set parts of the palace ablaze.

Residents of the affected communities described the public endorsement as “insensitive” and “unfortunate,” arguing that traditional rulers ought to be focusing their attention on pressure campaigns for the rescue of kidnapped victims and urgent intervention by security agencies.

“We know the government most likely sponsored the advert, but the traditional rulers should have advised against it at a time like this,” a resident said.

“I am particularly disappointed in the Emir of Yashikira whose wives and children were kidnapped just a day earlier. What kind of insensitivity is this?”

SaharaReporters had reported that suspected armed bandits launched a coordinated midnight attack on Yashikira community in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State on Monday.

During the assault, the attackers reportedly stormed the police divisional headquarters and the Emir’s palace, abducting at least 10 persons, including two wives of the monarch and several of his children.

The attack plunged the border community into panic, further heightening fears over a deteriorating security situation in Kwara North, where rural communities have increasingly come under repeated attacks by armed groups.

Earlier, SaharaReporters reported that the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State and Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, reportedly stayed away from his hometown of Gwanara in Baruten Local Government Area during the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations over growing insecurity and incessant terrorist attacks in the area.

Danladi, an indigene of Baruten Local Government Area in Kwara North Senatorial District, was said to have abandoned the traditional Eid visit to his hometown amid fears over worsening security conditions ravaging parts of the local government area.

His decision followed fresh attacks by suspected terrorists and bandits in the area.

Last Sunday, suspected bandits invaded Yashikira community in Baruten, setting the Emir’s palace ablaze and abducting several residents, including women, children and some of the Emir’s wives.

The attack further heightened fears among residents of the border community, which has in recent years witnessed repeated attacks by armed groups, kidnappers and terrorists.

Baruten Local Government Area, which shares boundaries with the Republic of Benin, has become one of the flashpoints of insecurity in Kwara North, with residents repeatedly lamenting alleged government neglect and inadequate security presence in the area.

It is traditionally customary for prominent politicians, elected officials and public office holders to return to their hometowns during major Islamic festivities such as Eid-el-Kabir to celebrate with their people.

However, multiple sources told SaharaReporters that the APC governorship candidate chose to remain in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, where he observed the Eid prayers around the Fate-Tanke area alongside aides and political loyalists instead of returning to Gwanara.

His absence from Baruten during the Muslim festival has since generated reactions among residents and political observers, with many accusing him of abandoning his people at a difficult period marked by fear, killings, kidnappings and displacement.

Residents also condemned the silence of the Kwara State House of Assembly under Danladi’s leadership over the worsening insecurity in Kwara North Senatorial District.

“Since the crisis began about two years ago, the Kwara State House of Assembly under Danladi has not raised a single motion condemning the security situation, neither have they proposed any legislative intervention towards addressing it,” a resident from Kwara North told SaharaReporters.