Bandits raid Kwara community, kill one, kidnap two

A suspected bandit attack on a Fulani settlement in Lafiagi, Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State, has claimed the life of one resident and led to the abduction of two women.

The incident occurred on Monday night in the Sodo/Sawmill area on the outskirts of Lafiagi.

According to residents, the armed men invaded the settlement around 8 p.m., firing gunshots indiscriminately and creating fear among community members.

Sources familiar with the incident said the attackers were believed to be searching for a prominent Fulani leader in the area. However, they reportedly failed to find their intended target during the operation.

In the aftermath of the attack, one person was confirmed dead, while two women were taken away by the gunmen to an unknown location.

The gunmen subsequently abducted two women said to be wives of the Fulani leader before fleeing the area.

A resident was also shot dead during the attack.

Security operatives reportedly responded after receiving distress calls, while troops engaged the attackers and forced them to retreat into a nearby forest.

Confirming the incident on Tuesday, the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, said one person was killed while two women were abducted.

“Yes, one man was killed while two women, 25 and 35 years of age, who are wives of the Seriki Fulani, were abducted,” Ojo said.

The police commissioner disclosed that preliminary findings indicated that the attackers had targeted the Fulani leader, identified as an Ardo, but were unable to capture him.

“The attackers targeted the Fulani leader, Ardo. And for now, we are still on their trail because before we got there, the military had repelled them before they ran into the forest, but we are on their trail,” he stated.

The attack has heightened concerns over insecurity in Edu and neighbouring local government areas, where residents have repeatedly called for intensified security operations against criminal groups operating in the Kwara North axis.

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