Fear has gripped commuters and residents along the Oyo–Kwara border as armed criminals have effectively taken over the Ilorin–Ogbomoso highway, a critical corridor linking Kwara and Oyo States. The highway has become a zone of terror, with frequent attacks targeting travelers for abduction and robbery, resulting in the virtual collapse of commercial transport operations at night.
Commercial drivers and residents who spoke to reporters confirmed that armed gunmen frequently emerge from bushes along poorly lit sections of the route. They stop vehicles at gunpoint, rob passengers, and often kidnap them for ransom. Drivers at Okolowo Garage in Ilorin described the highway as a dangerous zone where “it has become dangerous to travel here at night.”
The security crisis has fundamentally altered transport operations on the critical highway. Night travel along the route has virtually collapsed, with drivers no longer daring to use the road between midnight and 5 AM due to the high risk of attack. Drivers are now adopting new safety strategies, such as stopping and sleeping in Ogbomoso, even though this causes delays and financial complications for drivers and passengers alike.
Drivers who have operated on the route for over a decade shared harrowing experiences, including losing passengers to kidnappers. They reported that criminal gangs have grown bold due to the near absence of security patrols, checkpoints, or rapid-response units. Passengers are also showing fear, with some refusing to board vehicles in the evening, and others paying extra for drivers to take longer, alternative routes, according to residents. Residents along the border communities expressed concern that unless urgent action is taken by the authorities in both Kwara and Oyo States, the insecurity could escalate further, negatively impacting local economies and overall safety.
