A growing number of roadside traders in Kwara State have come forward with disturbing allegations of extortion, harassment, and brutalisation by an armed enforcement unit reportedly deployed by the state government to curb illegal street trading.
According to multiple eyewitness accounts and victims’ testimonies obtained by our reporters, uniformed operatives—believed to be acting under the directive of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq—have targeted traders operating in popular markets across Ilorin. Victims allege that they are routinely forced to pay bribes of up to ₦10,000 to avoid the seizure of their goods or unlawful detention.
“They arrived in trucks, shouting, beating people, and destroying our stalls,” said a trader near the Mandate Market who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation. “If you don’t pay them, they beat you or carry your goods away.”
Eyewitnesses further claim that several female vendors were physically assaulted, while others were dragged into vehicles without formal charges. Traders accuse the task force of operating without accountability, often threatening anyone who resists with violence or arrest.
Local rights groups and market associations have condemned the alleged actions, calling for an immediate investigation into the enforcement unit’s conduct.
“This is not law enforcement—it’s oppression,” said Sulaimon Ojo, coordinator of the Ilorin Traders Welfare Forum. “We support organised markets, but the government cannot use violence to drive the poor off the streets.”
Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s office has yet to respond to repeated requests for comment regarding the nature of the task force and its mandate.
The reported abuses come amid growing criticism of the government’s strategy to decongest urban roads, which has disproportionately affected low-income street vendors struggling in a difficult economy. Legal analysts say the use of brute force could constitute a violation of constitutional rights and due process.