TENSION IN LAFIAGI: RESIDENTS CLASH WITH EMIR’S PALACE GUARDS OVER ATTEMPTED ARREST OF VIGILANTE WHO SPOKE AGAINST BANDITRY

By Ademola Adekusibe
October 16, 2025

Tension gripped Puta community under the Lafiagi Emirate in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State after residents resisted an attempt by palace guards to arrest a local vigilante known for speaking against the surge of banditry in the region.

The guards, reportedly acting on the orders of the Emir of Lafiagi, Alhaji Mohammed Kudu Kawu, stormed the home of the vigilante, Umar Zhitsu, popularly known as “Mamaki Sai Soko”, in the early hours of Wednesday.

According to eyewitnesses, Mamaki had recently urged the Emir to call on Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to take firm action against the rising cases of kidnapping and attacks ravaging Kwara North. His public statements, especially a viral Facebook post praising vigilantes as “the real heroes,” were said to have angered the palace.

When the guards arrived to arrest him, residents quickly mobilized, surrounding Mamaki’s residence and chanting solidarity songs, insisting that the arrest was “unjust and oppressive.” The standoff reportedly lasted several hours before the guards retreated empty-handed.

Kwara North, particularly the Lafiagi and Patigi axis, has endured a series of deadly attacks in recent months, with locals accusing the government of negligence and weak security response. Many villagers have either fled or taken up vigilante roles to defend their communities.

This is not the first time the Lafiagi Emirate has been linked to alleged suppression of dissenting voices. In September, reports emerged that journalists were summoned to the Emir’s palace and warned not to publish stories about insecurity in the area, allegedly on the instruction of the state government.

The move to silence voices like Mamaki’s, observers say, only deepens public distrust and exposes the widening rift between community leaders, residents, and state authorities over how best to confront the growing wave of banditry in Kwara North.