By Olatidoye Akeem
A Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Olive Community Development Initiative (OCDI), has held an interface discussion with some of the victims of the recent attacks on Babanla, Edu and Patigi areas of Kwara State.
The organization also called for the implementation of the action plan on women and security, which was signed and supported by ActionAid.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of OCDI, Oluwatoni Adeleke urged that the Action plan on Women, Peace and Security which was designed with the support of Action Aid and Global Affairs Canada by the stakeholders in Kwara State and signed by the executive governor should be implemented.
Adeleke, who was speaking in Ilorin at the end of the focus group discussion between OCDI representatives and the victims of the attack, informed that “one of our thematic areas is gender-based violence. We are also working on women and security.”
“The news of the various insecurity and breakdown of law and order in the areas is a concern for Olive Community Development Initiative, particularly where women and children are victims.
“We have projects in some of the places affected by insecurity. We can’t go there to carry out our intervention because of the problems facing the areas.
“We decided to have engagement with the victims and eyewitnesses of the attack in Babanla, Edu, and Patigi to actually get the real details about the incident and all other information that will assist our organization to support victims.”
She expressed serious concerns over the attack on women and children in the areas, saying that people are not really focusing on how the breakdown of law and order is affecting women and children.
The CEO also informed that after the engagement and interface with victims of the attack in the areas, “our organization plans to visit the settlements to see the situation and to also mobilize support for victims.” She advised the victims of the attack to be calm and never to give up. They should also be concerned about their children and their mental health.
Adeleke commended the Kwara State Government for proactiveness and commitment since the incident started and appealed more concern for the affected women in the attack. She also urged that victims of the attack should be given psychosocial support.
“They need temporary accommodations, shelters, food, clothes, security, and empowerment,” she said.
Some of the victims, in an exclusive interview with The Herald, gave an account of what they experienced during the attack in their various communities. A victim (name withheld) said, “They entered our area with guns and other dangerous weapons. Many of our people were killed by the attackers.”
Another victim informed that those who attacked their areas had kidnapped many of the villagers and took ransom from them before they were released.
“We need clothes, food, housing, security, and means of livelihood. Our children have stopped going to school because we have vacated our original home for safety,” they said.
The victims also commended OCDI for showing concern by organizing the discussion where they were able to speak out and got hope from Olive Community Development Initiative.
