Kwara: Bandits abduct 10 people in fresh attack on border community
* Torch Emir’s palace
Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
Panic swept through Yashikira community in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State following a deadly midnight attack by bandits, abducting 10 residents and setting part of the Emir’s palace ablaze.
The coordinated assault, which occurred around 2:00 a.m. on Monday, also targeted the Yashikira Police Divisional Headquarters, where security operatives reportedly engaged the attackers and prevented them from overrunning the station.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Kwara State Police Command, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, described the attack as “cowardly and audacious,” noting that the armed men stormed the community in large numbers before carrying out simultaneous operations at the palace and police facility.
She disclosed that the assailants escaped into the surrounding forest with 10 abducted victims whose whereabouts remain unknown.
The attack has heightened concerns over rising insecurity in border communities within Baruten Local Government Area, an area that has witnessed repeated security threats linked to armed groups operating around forest corridors.
Following the incident, the Commissioner of Police in Kwara State, Ojo Adekimi, ordered a massive joint security operation involving police personnel, soldiers, forest guards, vigilantes and other local security outfits to comb nearby forests and rescue the victims.
According to the police command, intelligence-driven operations and aggressive bush-combing have already commenced across suspected hideouts used by the criminals.
Reacting to the latest attack, Adekimi vowed that security agencies would not allow criminal elements to destabilise peaceful communities in the state.
“These criminals have declared war against peace-loving citizens, and we are fully prepared to hunt them down relentlessly. We will deploy everything within our operational capacity to smoke them out of hiding, dismantle their networks, rescue all abducted victims, and ensure they face the full wrath of the law,” the police commissioner said.
The command assured residents of Yashikira and neighbouring communities that additional security deployments had been made to prevent further attacks and restore confidence among residents.
Police authorities also appealed to members of the public to remain calm and provide credible information that could assist security agencies in tracking down the attackers and securing the release of the abducted victims.
