Kwara Police Officers Cry Out Over 3-Month Allowance Delay, Threaten Withdrawal From Operations
Police officers deployed for counter-insurgency operations in Kwara State have raised concerns over the non-payment of their duty allowances for the past three months, warning that the situation is affecting morale and operational effectiveness.
The officers, drawn from different parts of the country and deployed for joint operations alongside other security agencies, said they were sent to the region to confront armed groups linked to Lakurawa activities in parts of the North-Central.
According to them, the prolonged delay in payment has left many of them struggling under harsh conditions, with some threatening to withdraw from ongoing operations if the issue is not urgently addressed.
The deployment is part of a coordinated security response involving police mobile units and military personnel aimed at curbing the activities of the armed group, which is believed to have links with the Islamic State Sahel Province and operates across parts of Mali, Niger, and northern Nigeria, including Kwara, Niger, Sokoto and Kebbi states.
In recent months, Kwara North and Kwara South have witnessed repeated attacks, with reports indicating over 100 deaths, more than 300 kidnappings, and the displacement of at least 25 communities. Many displaced residents have reportedly moved to Ilorin in search of safety.
Speaking anonymously, one of the officers said the situation on the ground was becoming unbearable.
“We have been here for three months without our allowances. There is no food, and we have been abandoned. The last attack killed five security operatives, including a mobile policeman, and nothing has been done since then,” he said.
He added that morale among personnel was extremely low, citing hunger, illness, and lack of logistics support.
Another officer expressed frustration over what he described as poor welfare and operational neglect, alleging that the team was under-equipped and overstretched.
“There is no proper welfare, no food, no good accommodation, no water. Even ammunition is not enough. We are suffering here,” he said.
He also warned that continued neglect could force officers to prioritise their survival over engagement with armed groups.
“We have promised not to repel any attack if things continue like this. I will not die here; my family needs me,” he added.
The grievances come amid ongoing insecurity in parts of Kwara State, where several rural communities have faced repeated attacks, killings, and mass abductions in recent months, raising fresh concerns about the welfare and readiness of security personnel deployed to frontline operations.
