The Emir of Yashikira, Alhaji Umaru Usman Seriki Saabi Kpassi II — whose wives and children were recently abducted by suspected terrorists — appears in a full‑page newspaper advert praising President Bola Tinubu and Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq over the outcome of the APC governorship primary in the state.
The monarch, named alongside other first‑class traditional rulers from Baruten Local Government Area, congratulated Tinubu and AbdulRazaq for a “peaceful and successful” APC primary exercise, which reportedly zoned the party’s governorship ticket to Baruten LGA.
The advert has sparked anger. Residents say the chiefs put partisan politics first while communities still face worsening insecurity, kidnappings and violent attacks. The row is sharper because the Emir is still reeling from a midnight raid on his palace when suspected bandits abducted members of his immediate family and set parts of the palace on fire.
Residents called the endorsement “insensitive” and “unfortunate,” arguing rulers should press for the rescue of kidnapped victims and demand urgent security action. “We know the government most likely sponsored the advert, but the traditional rulers should have advised against it at a time like this,” a resident said. “I am particularly disappointed in the Emir of Yashikira whose wives and children were kidnapped just a day earlier. What kind of insensitivity is this?”
SaharaReporters had said suspected armed bandits launched a coordinated midnight attack on Yashikira, storming the police divisional headquarters and the Emir’s palace and abducting at least 10 people, including two of the monarch’s wives and several children. Baruten, which borders the Republic of Benin, has become a flashpoint of insecurity.
Meanwhile, APC governorship candidate Yakubu Danladi‑Salihu reportedly skipped Eid visits to his hometown of Gwanara, staying in Ilorin instead — a decision that drew criticism. “Since the crisis began about two years ago, the Kwara State House of Assembly under Danladi has not raised a single motion condemning the security situation, neither have they proposed any legislative intervention towards addressing it,” a resident from Kwara North told SaharaReporters.
