A socio-security group, Joint Security Watch Kwara South, has dismissed reports suggesting that insecurity has drastically reduced the population and electoral strength of Kwara South ahead of the forthcoming political contests in Kwara State.

The group said such claims were misleading and politically motivated, insisting they do not reflect the true situation on the ground.

Speaking in a statement on Sunday, the group’s coordinator, Olaitan Oyin-Zubair, said incidents of banditry and kidnapping recorded in parts of Kwara were not unique to Kwara South and should not be used to stigmatise the region.

“Banditry and kidnapping in Kwara entered through ungoverned forests and weak border points. They are not indigenous to Kwara South and do not define our people,” he said.

According to him, most of the attacks in recent years occurred in remote communities with initially limited security presence, noting that coordinated interventions have since improved the situation.

He added that several displaced residents had begun returning to their communities following intensified security operations and community surveillance efforts.

The group also rejected suggestions that insecurity had weakened Kwara South’s political relevance within the All Progressives Congress (APC), arguing that the district remains a strong voting bloc in the state.

It cited past election results, claiming Kwara South delivered strong support for the APC in both the 2019 and 2023 general elections.

Oyin-Zubair said ongoing security measures include improved intelligence sharing, surveillance systems, and collaboration between security agencies and local vigilante groups across local government areas such as Irepodun, Ekiti, Oke-Ero, Isin and Offa.

He said agencies involved include the police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and community security formations.

“Kwara South is securing its land, protecting its people, and restoring normal life and economic activity. We will not accept the use of insecurity as a tool for political exclusion,” he said.

The group urged political actors and residents to avoid spreading unverified claims that could heighten fear or tension in the state.