Citizens and stakeholders from the Edu and Patigi Local Government Areas in the Kwara North Senatorial District have strongly condemned comments made by Senator Sadiq Umar regarding the security challenges in the district.

Senator Sadiq had recently claimed in a statement that "the security situation in the communities is being brought under control."

In a sharp rebuke, the stakeholders described the lawmaker's assertion as "deeply shocking, insensitive, and completely disconnected from the painful reality faced by our people on a daily basis."

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

"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 really our representative or what? Because no true representative of the people would speak in such a manner while his constituents are being slaughtered and kidnapped daily.

"This is not only a betrayal of trust but also a gross misrepresentation of the truth. It raises serious concerns about whether the Senator is truly in touch with his constituents or deliberately choosing to downplay their suffering," the stakeholders added.

They called on all well-meaning citizens to reject any future political ambition of anyone who trivializes the bloodshed and hardship in Edu and Patigi, adding that leadership must be about empathy, truth, and service, not denial and deceit.

The stakeholders further demanded that Senator Sadiq publicly withdraw his misleading statement and tender an unreserved apology to the people of Edu and Patigi for this grave insensitivity.

"Our people deserve protection, not propaganda. Our land deserves peace, not political games," they stated.