By Atoyebi Nike
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has directed the State Police Command to track down and prosecute individuals who attacked women protesting insecurity near the Government House in Ilorin.
The directive followed the circulation of a viral video showing suspected thugs assaulting women said to be demonstrating against rising insecurity in parts of the state.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, the governor condemned the incident and described the assault as unacceptable under any circumstance.
AbdulRazaq said peaceful protest remains a fundamental democratic right and stressed that the women acted within the law by expressing their concerns.
“The governor expresses outrage at the footage showing hoodlums attacking women protesters during the Christmas holiday near the under-construction Government House gate in Ilorin,” the statement said.
“The assault on the protesters, whatever the circumstances, was unacceptable and should never have happened. Peaceful protest is a democratic right, and the women were within their rights to express their views.”
The governor distanced his administration from the attack, noting that it does not reflect the values of his government.
“We therefore distance ourselves from the incident. It does not represent our values as a government. We have called on the police to find the attackers and bring them to account,” Ajakaye added.
The statement also emphasized that the government remains actively engaged in addressing security challenges across the state.
It noted that on Saturday, December 27, the governor personally led the passing-out parade of newly trained armed forest guards, whose mandate includes flushing out kidnappers and terrorists from forest areas.
The government added that this initiative complements the ongoing deployment of security personnel and other investments aimed at safeguarding communities across Kwara State.
