Stakeholders and residents from Edu and Patigi Local Government Areas of Kwara North Senatorial District have berated Senator Sadiq Umar for comments they described as “insensitive and misleading” regarding the security situation in the area.

Senator Sadiq had recently claimed that the security challenges in the affected communities were “being brought under control.”

However, the stakeholders, in a statement on Thursday, faulted the lawmaker’s remarks, describing them as “deeply shocking, disconnected, and far removed from the painful reality” that people in the district continue to endure.

They said despite repeated attacks, mass kidnappings, and killings, the Senator chose to paint a false picture of safety.

“It is on record that over 80 innocent lives were lost in a single day, while over one billion naira has been paid as ransom to kidnappers in various parts of Edu and Patigi,” the statement read.

“Families are grieving, communities are deserted, and fear has taken over once-peaceful villages yet our representative in the Senate stands before the nation to make such a misleading remark.

“At this point, we are forced to ask: is this man truly representing us or himself? No genuine representative of the people would speak so casually while his constituents are being slaughtered and kidnapped daily,” they lamented.

The group said the Senator’s comment was not only a betrayal of trust but also a gross misrepresentation of the truth, adding that it raised questions about his connection with the realities of his constituency.

They urged the people of Kwara North to reject any future political ambition of anyone who trivializes the suffering and insecurity confronting the region.

“Leadership must be about empathy, truth, and service not denial and deceit,” they said.

The stakeholders further demanded that Senator Sadiq withdraw his statement and tender an unreserved public apology to the people of Edu and Patigi.

“Our people deserve protection, not propaganda. Our land deserves peace, not political games,” the statement concluded.