Tension mounted in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State on Wednesday as a group of aggrieved women from Oke-Ere community took to the streets in a dramatic protest against the rising spate of insecurity and persistent kidnappings by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
In a video circulating online and obtained by SaharaReporters, dozens of mostly elderly women marched half-naked through their town, chanting mournfully and holding sticks and leaves in a display of deep frustration and sorrow. The protesters lamented what they described as the “endless reign of terror” that has plagued their once peaceful community.
“We can’t go to the farm, we can’t go to the market. Our husbands and children are being killed or kidnapped. We are tired,” one of the women cried out in the video.
The protest comes in the wake of numerous attacks in the region, with the most recent incident occurring along the Ayere-Kabba federal expressway in March, where armed assailants abducted three travelers and injured four others. The victims were taken to St. John’s Hospital in Kabba for treatment.
A Facebook page, Kogi Pulse, commented on the protest, saying, “The women of Oke-Ere in Yagba West local government area of Kogi State are making prayers for the security of the land against kidnappers and Fulani herdsmen. They’re tired of the insecurity and reckless killings. They can’t go to the market or farm to feed again. #freeYagbawestfromInsecurity.”
While the state government has yet to issue an official response, the protest underscores growing public frustration over the failure of authorities to contain the worsening security situation across parts of Kogi State.
Community leaders are now calling on both state and federal governments to take urgent action to restore peace and ensure the safety of residents, particularly in vulnerable rural areas.
