Panic has engulfed Essanti village in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State following the abduction of two sons of a community youth leader in a daring daylight attack on Monday.
The victims were reportedly seized around 1:30 p.m. while returning from their farm. Sources said the abductors revealed that they deliberately targeted the youth leader’s family as a tactic to intimidate villagers and discourage resistance against repeated bandit incursions.
This incident comes barely 24 hours after a violent raid on Marri village in the same local government area, where bandits stormed the community between 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. on Sunday, killing one person, injuring another, and carting away several motorcycles. However, a swift response by Nigerian Army personnel led to the recovery of all the stolen motorcycles from the fleeing attackers.
In a separate incident earlier on Sunday morning, tragedy struck in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun Local Government Area, where gunmen ambushed vigilante members in the Ogbayo community. According to the Kwara State Police Command, 12 vigilantes, including the Baale (traditional leader) of Ogbayo, were killed in the assault.
“At about 7:00 a.m., armed men invaded the Ogbayo area of Oke-Ode, shooting sporadically. A combined team of police operatives and the National Forest Security Service responded swiftly, only to discover 12 lifeless bodies of vigilante members, including the Baale,” the command said in a statement.
The police added that four others who sustained gunshot injuries were taken to hospital for treatment, while security forces have intensified efforts, in collaboration with the military, to track down the perpetrators.
The string of attacks has heightened fears across Kwara North, where rural communities remain under siege from bandit activities despite ongoing security operations.
