Kwara farmer and CEO of Versa Farms, Nigeria’s largest tomato farm, Ibrahim Toyeeb, has condemned the recent spate of deadly attacks across Kwara State, calling for urgent intervention to protect lives and safeguard the region’s fragile economy.
Toyeeb, whose company is one of the largest employers of labour in the area, expressed deep pain at the killings and displacement of residents. He warned that unless decisive action was taken, Kwara South risked becoming an economic dead zone, driving away investors and undermining the livelihoods of thousands.
His statement follows coordinated attacks on communities in Kwara South and neighbouring areas, including Oke-Ode in Ifelodun Local Government Area, that left scores dead, several injured and a number abducted.
“I mourn every life taken. I mourn every family uprooted. I mourn every field left untended. My people sleep in fear. Silence from those elected to protect us is not neutrality; it is, to us, abandonment.
We call on Senator Ashiru and Honourable Olawuyi to show leadership, to convene security partners, and to secure our communities now. Why has this situation not been mentioned boldly on the floor of the National Assembly? Representation without advocacy is no representation at all.”
Toyeeb emphasised that this appeal was not partisan and not intended to inflame tensions. Instead, he said it was a practical call for a sequence of immediate actions that, he believed would arrest the crisis and begin the work of recovery.
He called for the deployment of targeted security reinforcements to affected communities; identifying and securing vulnerable points, and establishing a joint federal-state security task force with clear lines of command and public reporting.
conduct rapid humanitarian assessments and provide urgent relief to displaced families, launch a transparent investigation into the attacks and publish a time-bound action plan, and convene local leaders, security officials and civil society to create community-led protection measures.
He also urged the Governor and security agencies to sustain the recent measures announced in the wake of the attacks and prioritise intelligence-led operations that protect civilians while upholding the rule of law. He welcomed calls by the state executive for increased military and security deployments to the affected areas. He urged that any such deployments be paired with clear, local engagement and relief for victims.
He highlighted the economic cost of inaction: “Insecurity is destroying Kwara South’s investment potential. If farms close and businesses pull out, families lose their livelihoods, poverty deepens, and the area becomes economically crippled. Poor representation and poor performance of elected officers have left our people voiceless at the centre. Versa Farms employs hundreds of people; we prove what is possible if safety and stability are assured. This is why I am raising my voice: to protect not just farms but also futures.”
