They removed the soldiers from our town, Oke Ode residents said.

By Ajibola Osungbohun

As the killings in Oke Ode, in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, began to draw public attention, fresh revelations have emerged from residents of the community, providing accounts of what transpired before the tragedy.

In a viral video circulating on social media, eyewitnesses alleged that the soldiers deployed to the area declined to confront the armed assailants, claiming they lacked sufficient ammunition to face the bandits and had not been given official orders to engage.

One resident lamented: “We told the soldiers to fight against the bandits that attacked us in Oke Ode, but they said they hadn’t been given orders to engage. The soldiers were later withdrawn, and even the guns of local hunters were taken away.” (See attached video.)

For now, however, fear hangs heavily over Oke Ode. As one farmer put it: “If the soldiers can’t protect us, and our hunters are disarmed, then who will defend our community?”