A fresh wave of suspected bandit attacks has unsettled communities across Kwara State, with a traditional ruler, the first wife of a Baale and several other residents reportedly abducted in separate incidents.
The attacks, which occurred between Friday night and Saturday, were recorded in communities across Kwara South and Kwara North, heightening fears among residents already grappling with repeated cases of kidnapping and insecurity.
In Dabu, Ifelodun Local Government Area, gunmen reportedly invaded the community on Friday night and abducted the first wife of the Baale, popularly known as Iya Ayoka.
The Kwara South Development Forum, KSDF, has called for her immediate rescue, saying residents are no longer in a position to raise money to pay ransom for kidnapped victims.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the forum’s Secretary, Olasehinde Oluwatoba, on behalf of its Convener, Obashola Ridwan, said the latest incident had added to the hardship faced by communities in the area.
“We are not ready to pay a dime. The government needs to bring her back to us,” the group said.
According to the forum, Iya Ayoka has supported residents in the area during a difficult period marked by the closure of markets and the abandonment of some nearby communities.
The group said repeated kidnappings had also exhausted residents financially, as many families had previously contributed money towards the payment of ransom for victims.
“Many are begging for food. We have used all our money to pay ransom, so we are tired,” the forum said.
The organisation further alleged that some residents who had fled their communities because of insecurity had only recently begun returning when the latest attacks occurred.
It warned that continued attacks could force residents to abandon their homes again if urgent security measures were not taken.
The KSDF also renewed its appeal for the rescue of 23-year-old Babatunde Fasilat, who has reportedly remained in captivity following an earlier attack on Wande community.
Fasilat was allegedly abducted after armed men attacked the community and shot her father, who attempted to resist them.
A source familiar with the incident, who spoke anonymously, said four gunmen invaded the community and went into Fasilat’s room after shooting her father.
“Her father was shot, and the bullet penetrated the other side of his body. The bandits were four. While her father was trying to defend himself, they went to her room and kidnapped her,” the source said.
The exact date of the Wande attack could not be independently established, as sources gave different dates, including July 15 and July 26.
The KSDF alleged that the abductors were demanding N20m for Fasilat’s release and had allegedly been using her TikTok account to contact people and post messages while pressing their ransom demand.
The group said Fasilat’s father sustained serious injuries during the attack and had since been battling health complications while the family struggled to secure his daughter’s release.
Monarch reportedly abducted
In another incident in Kwara South, armed men reportedly abducted the traditional ruler of Igbesi land after invading the community on Saturday.
Igbesi is located within Oke-Onigbin in Isin Local Government Area.
Although details remained sketchy, a community elder said the attackers stormed the area, fired several shots and took the monarch into the bush.
The reported incident is the latest in a series of attacks involving traditional institutions in the state.
In April, suspected bandits reportedly abducted the traditional ruler of Olayinka community in Ifelodun LGA, Oba Salman Aweda, alongside his wife and another resident during a midnight attack.
Two attacks reported in Kwara North
While communities in Kwara South dealt with the latest incidents, gunmen also reportedly attacked communities in Edu Local Government Area in the northern part of the state.
At a filling station in Kokona village, also known as Yana Tsonga, in the Tsaragi district, gunmen reportedly abducted two people on Friday night.
One of the victims was said to be a final-year student of Adesina College of Education who had visited the filling station as part of activities marking her sign-out.
The second victim was reportedly a female employee of the station, although accounts differed over whether both victims were workers at the facility.
Their identities could not be independently confirmed.
Less than 24 hours later, another attack was reported in Wodata Rumallan, also known as Gidan Panu, in the Lafiagi area of Edu LGA.
A resident identified as Musa said gunmen stormed the community at about 9:17pm on Saturday and opened fire, sending residents into panic.
A child, identified as Rukayat, and her stepmother, Hazare, were reportedly missing after the attack.
A community leader said soldiers arrived about an hour after the gunmen left, but the number of casualties remained unclear as residents continued efforts to establish what happened.
The incident marked the second reported attack in Edu LGA within 24 hours.
Calls for urgent security intervention
The latest attacks have renewed concerns about the deteriorating security situation in parts of Kwara, particularly rural communities vulnerable to armed groups.
The Kwara South Development Forum appealed to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the Federal Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue all those in captivity.
“We are calling on the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and security agencies to immediately secure the release of all abducted victims in Kwara South and put an end to insecurity in the region,” the group said.
It also urged security agencies to expand operations into forests and other areas suspected to be hideouts for the attackers.
The forum further criticised what it described as inadequate response to repeated appeals for intervention, alleging that its concerns to the Ifelodun Local Government chairman had not produced the desired results.
It also accused the state government of attempting to discourage public discussion of the attacks.
Efforts to obtain a response from the Kwara State Police Command were unsuccessful. Calls and a text message sent to the Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, seeking clarification on the reported incidents had not received a response as of press time.
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