Gunmen raid Kwara communities, abduct residents, kill one

Armed bandits on Thursday night attacked multiple communities in Isin and Ifelodun local government areas of Kwara State, abducting several residents and killing one person, according to community sources.

The attacks occurred in Gaa-Oke Abba and Gaa-Alla in Isin Local Government Area, as well as Famole in Ifelodun Local Government Area.

Sahara Reporters, citing local sources, reported that the attacks were carried out simultaneously at about 10 p.m. on Thursday. A source familiar with the incidents said at least two residents were abducted from the Gaa-Alla community.

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

“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 reportedly said.

In Famole, located along the Share-Oke-Ode Road near the Oyi River in Oke-Ode Ward II of Ifelodun Local Government Area, one resident was reportedly killed after villagers confronted the attackers.

Another source confirmed the exchange of gunfire between residents and the armed men.

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

The police had not issued an official statement on the attacks as of the time of filing this report.

The latest incidents add to a growing list of security breaches reported across Kwara State in recent months.

PREMIUM TIMES recently reported the abduction of a primary school teacher, Shina Adeoye, along the Obbo-Ile–Eruku Road in Ekiti Local Government Area while travelling to work.

The newspaper also reported attacks in Edu Local Government Area, where gunmen killed a resident and abducted two women during a raid on a Fulani settlement in Lafiagi.

In Ifelodun Local Government Area, concerns remain over the fate of worshippers abducted from an ECWA church in Omugo in March. Reports later emerged that five of the abductees were feared dead in captivity, although authorities said they had yet to verify the claims.

Kwara North has also witnessed repeated attacks on communities and traditional institutions.

On 25 May, suspected bandits attacked the Yashikira community in Baruten Local Government Area, setting part of the emir’s palace ablaze and abducting 10 people, including wives and children of the traditional ruler.

The attack prompted a joint security operation involving the military, police, forest guards and local vigilantes.

Earlier in June, the Nigerian Army announced the rescue of two kidnap victims during operations conducted under Operation Savannah Shield, an ongoing security initiative targeting criminal groups operating across parts of the North Central region.

The fresh attacks in Isin and Ifelodun are likely to increase pressure on security agencies and the state government as residents continue to raise concerns about kidnappings, highway attacks and incursions into rural communities.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq recently held security consultations with military authorities and supported the deployment of additional police tactical teams to vulnerable areas following a series of attacks across the state.

Despite those measures, residents in several communities have continued to call for a stronger security presence, particularly in rural areas bordering forests that have become operational corridors for armed groups.

The latest attacks occurred less than three weeks after President Bola Tinubu’s Senior Special Assistant on Community Engagement (North Central), Abiodun Essiet, urged residents of Kwara and neighbouring Kogi State to avoid isolated prayer locations and exercise greater caution while travelling due to the deteriorating security situation in parts of the region.

Authorities have yet to provide an official account of Thursday night’s attacks or confirm the number of people abducted.