(photo of bandits. Photo Credit: Punch News)
Suspected bandits have killed one person and kidnapped two women in a late-night raid on a Fulani settlement in Lafiagi, the headquarters of Edu Local Government Area in Kwara State.
According to reports circulating on social media, the attack took place on Monday night in the Sodo/Sawmill area on the outskirts of town, adding to a growing wave of violence unsettling residents across Kwara North.
Eyewitnesses said the armed men descended on the settlement around 8 p.m., firing shots randomly and sending villagers fleeing in panic.
Community sources indicate the attackers were specifically hunting for a prominent Fulani leader but failed to find him.
Before withdrawing, the gunmen abducted two women believed to be his wives and shot dead one resident as they made their escape, deepening the sense of dread among locals already living under the shadow of insecurity.
Security forces reportedly responded to distress calls, with troops moving in to confront the attackers and partially disrupting the operation.
Speaking to journalists in Ilorin on Tuesday, Kwara State Commissioner of Police Adekimi Ojo confirmed that one man was killed and two women aged 25 and 35, both wives of the Seriki Fulani were taken captive.
He added that early investigations showed the attackers had been targeting the Fulani leader, known as an Ardo, but failed to apprehend him. “The military repelled them before they ran into the forest, but we are on their trail,” he stated.
The incident has reignited widespread concern over the deteriorating security situation in Edu and surrounding local government areas, where residents have long been calling for stronger action against criminal gangs operating from forest hideouts along the Kwara North axis.
