Former Senate President and ex-Governor of Kwara State, Dr Bukola Saraki, has dispatched a high-powered delegation to communities in Ifelodun Local Government Area ravaged by repeated bandit attacks, in a move aimed at consoling victims and reassuring traditional rulers of continued support.

The team, composed of senior figures in the Peoples Democratic Party, toured 19 communities in the Kwara South Senatorial District that have suffered violent raids and mass displacement. Many of the settlements, residents said, now live under the shadow of fear, with farms abandoned and nightfall treated as a curfew.

Leading the delegation, Kwara PDP State Treasurer, Reverend COS Fawenu, described the mission as part of an ongoing intervention programme Saraki initiated to assist communities battling insecurity across Kwara North and South. He said the visits were designed to “see things first-hand, listen to the people and stand with them in this difficult time.”

The first port of call was the palace of the Oba of Agbeku, His Royal Highness Oba Abdulazeez Shola Agboola Adeshina, where the delegation offered condolences over repeated invasions that have claimed lives and forced families to flee. Through Fawenu, Saraki praised the monarch for refusing to abandon his people despite the threats, and extended financial support to aid local recovery efforts.

Fawenu explained that Saraki deliberately stayed away from the tour to prevent the outreach from being misread as a political rally, insisting the gesture was purely humanitarian.

The delegation then proceeded to Afin community, where they met the family of the abducted Oniwo of Afin, Oba Simeon Olaonipekun, seized alongside his son, Olaolu, a serving National Youth Service Corps member, during a violent raid on the palace. The Queen, who survived a gunshot wound, is said to be recovering. Saraki’s representatives offered prayers for the monarch’s safe return and provided financial assistance to the royal family.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Rev Samuel Ajayi of ECWA Church, Idofian, hailed Saraki’s intervention as proof that leadership can endure beyond public office.

In Bayagan-Ile, the delegation joined residents in celebrating the release of the Ojibara of Bayagan-Ile, Oba Kamiludeen Salami, who spent 25 days in captivity. Cash support was again delivered to help the community rebuild. The monarch described Saraki’s outreach as unprecedented and recounted his ordeal with gratitude.

Similar visits were paid to other affected settlements, where village heads and baales expressed appreciation and offered prayers for Saraki and his team. The delegation included senior PDP figures from Ifelodun and the state chapter, underscoring the party’s attempt to position itself as a responsive voice amid deepening rural insecurity.