EXCLUSIVE: Kwara Governor AbdulRazaq Holds Lavish Birthday Party For Son In UK Amid Rising Bandits Attacks In Communities

The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has come under fire after hosting a lavish birthday celebration for his son, Abdul, in London, the United Kingdom, amid the escalating insecurity and bandit attacks in several Kwara communities.

SaharaReporters learnt that the opulent event held on October 31 was attended by top politicians, family members, and close associates.

It also reportedly featured luxury dining and entertainment, with the governor and his wife, Olufolake AbdulRazaq, seen together at the celebration.

SaharaReporters gathered that the extravagant display has sparked public outrage back home, as many residents continue to live in fear following a wave of kidnappings and attacks across the Kwara South and North senatorial districts.

Meanwhile, several communities, including those in Ifelodun, Irepodun, Ekiti, Edu, Patigi, Kaiama and Baruten local government areas, have been repeatedly targeted by bandits and armed herders in recent weeks.

Residents have described the London party as “insensitive” and “tone-deaf,” especially given the worsening security and economic challenges facing the state.

“While our people are being kidnapped daily, the governor is busy partying in London. This is a betrayal of public trust,” said a resident, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal.

Adding to public anger is a recent SaharaReporters investigation revealing that the AbdulRazaq administration spent over N1.4 billion on foreign trips and transportation within the first nine months of 2025.

This is according to the state’s Q3 Budget Implementation Report released on Monday, October 28, 2025 and seen by SaharaReporters.

The performance report, obtained by SaharaReporters, shows that under the subhead “International Travel & Transport (Others)”, the Kwara State Government approved an original budget of N5,257,014,199 for the 2025 fiscal year. 

Out of this, N534,266,530 was spent in the third quarter alone, bringing the total expenditure from January to September to N1,419,738,514.

The revelation comes at a time when insecurity continues to devastate communities in Kwara South and North, where armed bandits and suspected Fulani herders have carried out repeated attacks. 

SaharaReporters had reported how kwara residents fled their ancestral homes, while farmers abandoned their farmlands due to persistent kidnappings and ransom demands.

On September 28, 2025, SaharaReporters reported that at least 10 members of local vigilante groups, including forest guards, were killed, and five others abducted after terrorists launched an attack on Oke-Ode community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.

Residents said the assailants stormed the agrarian town in large numbers in the early hours of September, engaging the vigilantes in a fierce confrontation.

SaharaReporters learnt that the vigilantes, who had long served as the first line of defence for rural communities in the absence of a consistent military presence, were reportedly overpowered by the attackers.

A video obtained by SaharaReporters showed several lifeless bodies lying in pools of blood as grieving family members and sympathisers gathered around them in anguish.

A source in the area described the situation as “terrible,” lamenting the sudden withdrawal of Nigerian soldiers who had previously been stationed nearby.

“We don’t know why they withdrew the soldiers. Now our people are exposed. We learnt that 10 people were killed and five were kidnapped. The situation is now terrible,” the source said.

The incident has heightened fear among villagers who rely heavily on vigilante groups for security in the face of recurring bandit attacks in Kwara South and North of the state.

Confirming the attack, the press secretary to Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Rafiu Ajakaye, had described the killings as devastating. Writing in a WhatsApp group, he said the situation is devastating beyond words.

"This is sad. Devastating beyond words. Pls be patient. It could have been worse without the effort of the forest guards. Three guards died, one got injured. Many of the attackers also died," he said.

SaharaReporters had previously reported that terrorists, locally dubbed as bandits, reportedly attacked Igbonla community in the Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, abducting several residents during a late night raid on Sunday.

A source who spoke to SaharaReporters under the condition of anonymity said the gunmen stormed the community around midnight, shooting sporadically to instill fear among residents before whisking away an undisclosed number of people.

“The attack happened on Sunday night. We don’t yet know the exact number of people kidnapped, but several residents were taken away,” the source said.

The incident has caused panic among locals, with many fleeing to nearby villages for safety.

The source told SaharaReporters that security operatives, including men of the Nigerian Police Force and vigilante groups, had since been deployed to the area to track down the assailants and rescue the victims.