An unrestrained illegal lithium mining and rising criminality is pushing communities along the Oyo–Kwara border into a deepening security crisis, as fresh findings link the booming illicit trade to a spike in kidnappings, ransom payments, and deadly attacks.

What residents now grimly call a “new normal” unfolded in Soro Village, along the Malete axis, in the second week of April 2026. Several women and children were abducted and held for 18 days, regaining freedom only after a staggering ₦20 million ransom was paid.

But that was only one episode in a widening pattern. Within three weeks, at least four separate ransom payments were recorded across Kishi, Igboho, and Igbeti, underscoring a rapid deterioration in security across communities once regarded as relatively calm. Fear has since taken hold, with residents describing a steady erosion of safety and normal life.

The violence is no longer sporadic. In a recent attack, suspected bandits stormed Aluseke Village, killing a resident and intensifying anxiety in the area.

At the heart of the crisis lies an expansive, largely unregulated lithium mining network centred in Olorunsogo Local Government Area of Oyo State, particularly around Igbeti and Baba Igbori.

Investigations point to an industrial-scale operation in all but name. Between 1,000 and 3,000 motorcycles reportedly ferry lithium daily from mining sites, sustaining a vast informal supply chain that cuts across multiple communities.

The financial scale is equally striking. In Baba Igbori alone, illegal lithium activities are estimated to generate between ₦12 million and ₦18 million each day, an enormous cash flow in largely rural settlements. With little to no oversight, such liquidity is believed to be feeding criminal enterprises and emboldening armed groups.

Local accounts suggest that elements within the communities are aware of the illicit trade and, in some cases, may be benefiting from it. This has fostered what residents describe as a “wall of silence,” where fear and financial interest combine to stifle dissent.

“There’s too much money involved,” a local source said. “People are afraid, and some are benefitting.”

Security analysts warn that the convergence of illegal mining, unchecked cash flows, and weak enforcement is fast turning the region into a hub for organised crime and banditry.

Without urgent intervention, communities such as Igbeti, Kishi, and Igboho risk sliding further into a cycle of kidnappings and armed violence in the weeks ahead.

Residents are calling for immediate government action, including a clampdown on illegal lithium operations and a reinforced security presence to dismantle emerging criminal networks.