Bandits abduct villagers in fresh attack on Kwara communities

One person was reportedly killed while some others were abducted in Gaa-Alla and Gaa-Oke Abba communities in Isin Local Government Area of Kwara State following coordinated attacks by bandits.

The attack, which reportedly extended to Famole town in Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state, occurred simultaneously around 10pm on Thursday.

The Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, confirmed the incident to journalists on Friday, saying security operatives had launched efforts to rescue the victims and apprehend the attackers.

He said, “I can only confirm that in Gaa-Alla community, two people were abducted and that the police, in conjunction with the military and forest guards, are on the trail of the assailants.”

Community sources, however, claimed that the scale of the attacks extended beyond the figures officially confirmed by the police, alleging that scores of residents were abducted across the affected communities.

A source in Gaa-Alla community who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity due to fear of attack, said at least two residents were taken away by the gunmen during the invasion.

“In Gaa-Alla, two people were taken away by the terrorists,” the source said.

The source added that the exact number of victims abducted from Gaa-Oke Abba had yet to be determined as residents and local authorities were still assessing the aftermath of the attack.

“The number of people kidnapped in Gaa-Oke Abba is still unknown because efforts are ongoing to determine the full extent of the attack,” the source added.

It was further gathered that the attack on Famole community turned deadly after some residents reportedly confronted the gunmen in an exchange of gunfire.

According to sources, one person lost his life during the confrontation while an unspecified number of residents were abducted by the attackers.

“The bandits’ attack on Famole community in the night resulted in one fatality after an exchange of gunfire,” another source said.

The latest attacks have heightened fears among residents of the affected communities, particularly as cases of kidnapping and armed attacks have continued to pose security challenges in parts of Kwara North and Kwara South in recent months.

Famole community is located along the Share–Oke-Ode Road near the Oyi River in Oke-Ode Ward II of Ifelodun Local Government Area, an area that has witnessed growing security concerns amid increasing activities of armed criminal groups.