Insecurity Is Killing Education in Kwara State

[Alabi Gideon]

Kwara’s roll call of terror groups means school’s out for its children

Kwara is facing one of its darkest periods yet. With fresh reports of armed attacks almost every week, the state seems trapped in a cycle of bloodshed and fear. But beyond the rising death toll and displaced communities lies another silent casualty—the future of Kwara’s children.

On October 21, 2025, the Executive Chairman of the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (KWSUBEB), Prof. Sheu Ibrahim Adaramaja, announced that the state government had shut down at least 45 public schools due to growing security threats.

According to him, the move became necessary to protect students and teachers from repeated attacks by armed groups that now roam several parts of the state.

A State of Disharmony
Kwara’s nickname—the State of Harmony—now rings hollow. In recent months, the state has been engulfed by waves of violent raids, kidnappings, and clashes involving residents, security agencies, and multiple terrorist groups.

Below are just a few of the incidents that have shaken the state in recent weeks:

September 23, 2025: Armed men invaded Edu Local Government Area at midnight, abducting a woman and a teenage girl.
September 28, 2025: A deadly attack in Ifelodun LGA left 12 forest guards and a traditional ruler, the Baale of Ogbayo, dead.

September 30, 2025: The state government ordered airstrikes that killed a notorious kidnapping kingpin, Maidawa, and several members of his gang in the Isanlu-Isin forests.

October 2, 2025: A police officer was kidnapped along the Patigi–Lade road while returning from duty.

November 2, 2025: Gunmen launched another midnight raid in Irepodun LGA, abducting several residents.

The violence has become widespread and unpredictable, ranging from ransom kidnappings to deadly ambushes on locals and security forces. Faced with this chaos, the government had little choice but to close schools in the most vulnerable areas.

In October 2025, Senator Oyelola Ashiru, representing Kwara South, moved a motion at the Senate calling for the establishment of a permanent military base in the state.

Ashiru disclosed that within just one year, 142 people had been kidnapped and over 70 killed in Kwara South alone. He added that no fewer than 25 communities had been completely abandoned as residents fled for safety.

Welcome to the Kwara Terrorism Convention
It’s becoming hard to keep track of how many armed groups are now operating in Kwara.

In April 2025, a militia known as Mahmuda began targeting local vigilantes, killing 15 people in a single attack on April 16. The group, active since at least 2020, had functioned as a sort of shadow government, collecting taxes from farmers and herders and even settling local disputes.

A government crackdown in August 2025 led to the arrest of its leader—but instead of bringing peace, it opened the door to more extremist factions.

By October 2025, a splinter Boko Haram faction called Wulo Wulo, previously active in Kebbi and Sokoto, emerged in Kwara.

Then, on October 29, 2025, an even more dangerous force appeared: Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM)—a terrorist group linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS, notorious for its brutal campaigns across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

Their first recorded operation in Nigeria took place in Kwara, where they ambushed patrolling soldiers, killing one and seizing weapons and cash.

To put that in perspective, JNIM is responsible for over 80% of all terrorist fatalities in the Sahel region. Their entry into Kwara is not just alarming—it’s catastrophic.

Rocking the Cradle
The timing couldn’t be worse. Kwara has spent years quietly positioning itself as one of Nigeria’s most progressive and financially stable states.

According to BudgIT’s 2025 State of States Report, Kwara ranked fifth in fiscal independence, behind only Enugu, Lagos, Abia, and Anambra. The state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) has grown by a staggering 821.47% over the past decade—the sixth-highest increase in Nigeria.

Education, in particular, has been a top priority:

September 2024: The state invested ₦14 billion as a counterpart fund with UBEC.

May 2025: 6,993 teachers and administrators were trained under the strategic education reform plan, which also included building 15 new schools.

August 2025: Another ₦20 billion was allocated to strengthen education infrastructure.

October 2025: The government announced a ₦130,000 cash grant to parents who enroll and keep their daughters in school, aiming to reduce the number of out-of-school children.

That same month, Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) levies were abolished to ease the financial burden on parents.

Kwara has made undeniable progress in education—but now, all that investment is under threat. If students cannot attend classes safely, the entire system collapses.

These armed groups aren’t just stealing lives—they’re stealing futures.

Sounds Like a You Problem
The rise of terrorism in Kwara has alarmed officials across the Southwest, particularly in neighboring states like Oyo, Osun, and Ekiti.

Yet, most of the responses have been defensive rather than cooperative—focused solely on keeping the violence out.

Colonel Olayinka Olayanju (Rtd.), Commandant of the Oyo State Amotekun Corps, told reporters:

“What’s happening in Kwara State is not under my jurisdiction. It does not affect my area of responsibility.”
Similarly, Osun State Police Command spokesperson Abiodun Ojelabi said seven tactical teams had been deployed to the Kwara border to prevent infiltration. Ekiti and Ondo States have also tightened their borders.

For too long, southern states have treated extremist violence as a northern problem—a mindset that proved deadly during the 2022 Owo church massacre.

Now, as an unsettling mix of Boko Haram, JNIM, and local militias converge in Kwara, that complacency looks dangerously naïve.

When the Bough Breaks
Nigeria already faces a severe education crisis. According to UNICEF (2024), the country has 18.3 million out-of-school children—one of the highest numbers globally.

The northern region, plagued by insurgency and displacement, accounts for most of that figure. Schools have been burned, abandoned, or converted into IDP camps. Teachers have fled, and parents live in constant fear of sending their children to class.

Terrorists deliberately target schools—kidnapping boys for forced militancy and girls for forced marriage—making education a dangerous pursuit.

The long-term consequences are devastating: entire generations growing up without access to learning, leaving vast regions trapped in cycles of poverty and underdevelopment.

According to UNICEF’s 2023 Nigeria Education Fact Sheet, Kwara State had an 81% primary school completion rate, higher than the national average of 73%. Yet, that progress is now at serious risk.

Unless immediate action is taken, years of investment and reform could be wiped out in a matter of months.

The federal government must act decisively. Neighboring states must work together, not just to secure their borders but to defend the region collectively. And Nigerians everywhere must raise their voices to demand intervention.

Because if education dies in Kwara, it’s not just a state’s future that’s lost—it’s a warning for the rest of the country.

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