Tension has engulfed Patigi and neighbouring communities in Kwara State following another violent attack by terrorists who invaded Lata community in Patigi Local Government Area and abducted six bean farmers on Wednesday morning.
Multiple sources told Newsmen that the armed men stormed the farmlands at dawn, catching the farmers unawares as they worked on their fields.
A community source described the incident as swift and coordinated.
“They came very early in the morning while the farmers were busy. They took all six of them into the bush, and up till now, there is no update about their whereabouts,” the source said.
The latest abduction occurred barely 24 hours after another attack in the same local government area, during which bandits reportedly chased labourers from a farm and carted away a seven-month-old Haojue motorcycle belonging to a local businessman.
Residents told Starnews NG that terrorist activities across Kwara South and Kwara North have intensified in recent months, with communities alleging that the attackers now operate freely without resistance.
Another source recounted a similar incident last Sunday in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government Area, where four armed bandits abducted a farmer identified as Mr. Aasaru. The attack was the second in the town within one month, occurring barely a week after the federal government secured the release of 38 kidnapped worshippers of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Eruku.
In a separate attack on Monday, gunmen stormed Igbo Ofe Ora community near Oke-Ode in Ifelodun Local Government Area, abducting a housewife identified as Rukayat and shooting her brother-in-law, Abdulateef, who is currently receiving treatment in a private hospital due to a strike at government hospitals.
Family sources said the abductors have since demanded a ransom of N100 million.
Villagers across affected communities say the escalating violence has forced many residents to flee their homes, while farmlands are increasingly being abandoned out of fear.
Residents are calling for urgent government intervention as insecurity continues to spread, crippling farming and threatening livelihoods in Kwara State.
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