The Take It Back (TIB) Movement has raised alarm over moves by the Etsu of Tsaragi, His Royal Highness Aliu Abdullah Kpotwa Goshi II, to have a youth leader arrested for leading a peaceful protest against insecurity in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State.
On Sunday, scores of Tsaragi youths stormed the monarch’s palace in a coordinated, non-violent demonstration, demanding urgent action to address the worsening spate of kidnappings and killings in the community.
The protest came just hours after gunmen abducted a local businessman, Suleiman Ndana, during a midnight raid.
But instead of addressing the community’s grievances, the monarch reportedly summoned the police division in Tsaragi and instructed them to arrest one of the protest leaders, Comrade Saidu Musa Tsaragi, an organizer of the TIB Movement in the state.
Narrating the ordeal to the TIB Editorial Team, Comrade Saidu explained: “Yesterday, I led a protest against kidnapping and banditry in Tsaragi community. It was peaceful and well-coordinated. This evening, the king of Tsaragi called a meeting and directed the police to arrest me because I led the protest to his palace. I was even harassed by one of the palace officials, the Makama.”
Residents said the protest was driven by growing anger over incessant abductions and the failure of state authorities to respond to distress calls during attacks.
The youths had urged the Etsu to forward their demands to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, whom they accused of abandoning Kwara North communities to criminal gangs.
The TIB Kwara State Chapter, which had earlier led a September 22 protest against rising insecurity in the state, described the monarch’s action as an attempt to silence the people rather than defend them.
“Instead of standing with his people against kidnappers and bandits, the Etsu Tsaragi has chosen to unleash the police on peaceful protesters. This is unacceptable,” Saidu added.
The abduction of Suleiman Ndana, whose pregnant wife narrowly escaped being taken during the raid, has plunged Tsaragi into fresh fear and uncertainty. At the same time, the monarch’s reported order for the arrest of Saidu Musa has drawn widespread condemnation from residents.
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