Youths and residents of Eruku, in the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, on Wednesday stopped the convoy of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, insisting he must address them before leaving the community.

The governor had visited the town to commiserate with families of victims and inspect the church recently attacked by bandits. However, moments after he attempted to depart, angry youths formed a human barricade around his vehicle, refusing to allow the convoy to proceed.

A video shared by Sobi FM showed the irate crowd blocking the governor’s car and demanding that he step out to speak with them directly. Some residents expressed frustration over worsening insecurity, while others pointed to the poor condition of the road linking Eruku to neighbouring communities.

Security operatives tried calming the crowd, but the residents insisted they had endured years of government neglect and deserved concrete assurances.
“We are not safe. Our roads are bad. Bandits enter here easily. Let him talk to us,” one resident shouted.

The standoff lasted several minutes as the youths emphasised that government visits must result in real action on security and infrastructure.

Residents Accuse Police of Negligence During Attack

Earlier, SaharaReporters reported that residents of Eruku had appealed to the Nigerian government to provide them with weapons, saying they could better defend themselves from terrorists if properly equipped.

They also accused police officers of worsening the situation during the attack that left three church members dead. According to them, local vigilantes ran out of ammunition while trying to repel the attackers, but instead of confronting the terrorists, police fired teargas at the vigilantes.

One community representative told the Kwara State Commissioner of Police during his visit that the security response was chaotic.
“Our police gave us a very serious problem,” he said. “When the terrorists began shooting, we were left unarmed. Our vigilantes tried their best, but when they ran out of ammunition and sought reinforcement, the police arrived and started firing teargas at them.”

He said officers remained at a distance while terrorists continued shooting, leaving residents to defend themselves.

Community Laments Government Neglect

Residents also accused local government authorities of neglecting their community despite their loyalty during elections. They claimed that even their traditional ruler is routinely ignored by political leaders.

“Our monarch is highly respected here. Anyone who disrespects him is disrespecting all of us,” a resident said.

Pleas for Government Support

The community renewed its call for stronger security support, saying state and federal authorities must prevent further tragedies.

“If the government can support us with sophisticated weapons, we will be able to secure our community from terrorists,” the representative appealed.

Residents of Eruku say they remain on edge and fear more attacks unless urgent measures are taken.