Residents of three rural communities in the Isin and Ifelodun Local Government Areas of Kwara State are currently living in a state of extreme fear following a series of coordinated attacks by suspected bandits late Wednesday night.
The armed invaders reportedly struck Iwo Odo-Ore, Gaa-Idera, and Gaa Dembo-Agunjin almost at the same time, indicating a well-planned operation.
During the violent raids, several villagers were forcefully taken into the forest, while others sustained gunshot wounds as the criminals rustled cattle and looted properties.
The situation was especially dire in Iwo Odo-Ore, located in Isin Local Government Area, where five people were seized by the gunmen. Among those abducted is a prominent local politician and educator, Alhaji Yusuf Yunusa. Yunusa, who owns schools in both Oke-Onigbin and Lagos State, was reportedly in the middle of preparing for a family milestone when the attackers struck his residence.
Family sources noted that “Alhaji Yusuf had already planned an Islamic graduation ceremony ‘Walimoh’ for his child in Lagos on Saturday,” a celebration that has now been overshadowed by his sudden disappearance alongside four other residents of Hausa extraction.
In Ifelodun Local Government Area, the bandits targeted Gaa Dembo-Agunjin and Gaa-Idera with similar brutality. Reports indicate that six individuals were kidnapped from Gaa-Agunjin, while two others were taken from Gaa-Idera.
The timing of the Gaa-Idera raid was particularly tragic as the community was preparing for a wedding ceremony. The bandits reportedly focused their attention on those involved in the upcoming nuptials, with witnesses confirming that “they kidnapped the bride’s mother and one other person, and also rustled cattle during the attack.”
Violence characterized the entire operation as the gunmen shot sporadically to prevent any form of resistance from the locals. Security sources confirmed that at least two people were hit by bullets during the chaos.
Describing the injuries sustained by the victims, a source stated that “the bandits shot at two people; a bullet hit one person in the hand.” The simultaneous nature of these strikes has sparked fresh concerns regarding the expanding reach of armed groups within the Kwara South senatorial district.
In Gaa-Odera, the scale of the violence was equally alarming as the attackers fired indiscriminately at fleeing residents. A security official briefed on the matter revealed that “in Gaa-Odera, they shot at two people and kidnapped two people.”
Local vigilantes and security agencies are reportedly on the trail of the kidnappers, though no official statement has been released regarding the demand for ransom or the current location of the victims.
This latest wave of insecurity has left many farming communities in the state feeling vulnerable and abandoned.
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