Tension has gripped residents of a rural community in Oyo State after suspected bandits reportedly circulated handwritten warning notes threatening to launch an attack on January 20. The development has thrown the area into fear and uncertainty, with families beginning to relocate women and children to safer neighbouring towns.
According to community leaders, the threatening messages were discovered late last week in several strategic locations including the village market square, a primary school gate and the entrance to the local mosque. The notes warned residents to prepare for a violent raid if certain demands were not met, although the exact nature of those demands remains unclear.
Eyewitnesses said panic spread quickly once the notes were confirmed as genuine by local vigilante groups. Traders abandoned stalls early, schools recorded low attendance and night life in the area has practically disappeared as people avoid unnecessary movement after dusk.
Security agencies have since been alerted. The Oyo State Police Command confirmed that officers have been deployed to the community and surrounding villages to forestall any possible attack. A senior police source said intelligence units were already working with local informants to track the origin of the threats.
The situation reflects a growing concern about the spread of banditry into the southwest, a region once considered largely insulated from the violent patterns seen in parts of the northwest and northeast. Security analysts say criminal groups are now testing new territories as pressure mounts on their traditional strongholds.
Community leaders have called on the state government to reinforce security presence and establish a permanent post in the area. They warn that if proactive steps are not taken, the psychological impact alone could cripple farming activities and worsen food insecurity in the region.
For now, residents remain on edge, hoping that the warning notes are nothing more than a scare tactic. But in a country where such threats have often been followed by deadly action, few are willing to take chances.
