At least eight residents have been abducted in renewed attacks by suspected bandits in parts of Kwara State, following coordinated raids on two communities within days, heightening fear and insecurity among residents.
Starnews NG gathered that the first attack occurred on Monday at about 6:30 a.m. at Gaa Jimoh community in Ijara Isin, Isin Local Government Area, where heavily armed men reportedly invaded the area in large numbers.
According to residents, the gunmen operated freely for several minutes without resistance, forcefully abducting five people before fleeing the community.
Those abducted were identified as Adebayo Saheed, Adebayo Fatimah, Adebayo Salamat, Ibrahim Mohammed, and Ibrahim Yusuf.
A resident said the attackers struck early in the morning while residents were preparing for the day.
“They came very early and moved around freely. Nobody could stop them,” the resident said.
In a related incident, another abduction was recorded on Friday at about 7:30 p.m. at Gaa Power Line, Omu-Aran, also in Kwara State.
Local sources said no fewer than five armed kidnappers stormed the community, firing sporadically to intimidate residents before abducting three people.
The victims were identified as Mrs. Fatimah, who was carrying her two-month-old baby, Adama Musa, and Umaru Sanda.
A community leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the abductors later released Mrs. Fatimah and her infant unconditionally but escaped with Adama Musa and Umaru Sanda.
Following the twin attacks, police operatives in Omu-Aran, in collaboration with local vigilante groups, have launched a manhunt for the perpetrators.
The attacks come amid growing public concern over insecurity in Kwara State. Newsmen had earlier reported widespread outrage after a viral video surfaced showing suspected bandits in possession of AK-47 rifles alongside a security vehicle bearing the logo of Ifelodun Local Government Area.
In the footage, the suspects claimed the vehicle was supplied by the “Ilorin government” and alleged that their weapons came “from Abuja,” triggering intense public backlash and accusations of official complicity.
However, the Kwara State Government denied the allegations. In a statement issued on Sunday, the Commissioner for Communications, Mrs. Bolanle Olukoju, dismissed reports that the Nigerian Army arrested armed bandits in Ifelodun Local Government Area, describing such claims as false and capable of inciting panic.
According to the government, the suspects seen in the video were arrested in Auchi, Edo State, not in Kwara, despite being found with a government-branded security vehicle.
The government further claimed that the vehicle was originally assigned to vigilantes deployed in Ifelodun to support local security operations but was never returned after the vigilantes left the area.
Despite the explanations, residents say the government has failed to convincingly account for how a sensitive security asset meant to protect communities ended up in the hands of armed criminals or why it was not immediately recovered.
The latest abductions have intensified calls for urgent security intervention as fear continues to spread across rural communities in Kwara State.
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