Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Ilorin, Kwara State — Panic and grief have spread through parts of Kwara State after reports emerged that armed raiders stormed a rural community shortly after Christmas festivities, leaving residents injured, homes emptied and several people abducted in what security analysts describe as part of a widening pattern of banditry and violent crime in the region.
While official confirmation of the precise date and location of this latest attack is still awaited from the Kwara State Police Command, similar violent incursions by armed assailants have characterized the security landscape in the weeks surrounding the festive period. In late November 2025, for example, heavily armed bandits attacked the Eruku area in Ekiti Local Government, opening fire on congregants gathered after services and abducting churchgoers, including the pastor, before fleeing into nearby bushland.
In the neighbouring Isapa community, a separate raid saw assailants descend on homes and farmland, abducting at least 11 residents, including vulnerable individuals such as a pregnant woman, nursing mothers and several children, as gunshots rang out and families fled in terror.
Eyewitnesses to such attacks describe attackers numbering in the dozens, often moving through communities with sporadic gunfire that forces residents to abandon their homes and rush for safety. These groups are reported to fire indiscriminately and seize people at random, heightening fear and uncertainty among rural populations.
The pattern of violence has not been limited to gunmen entering places of worship or farmland. Earlier incidents in 2025 documented in Kwara State include a raid on the Iwo community in Isin Local Government Area, where gunmen killed a community leader and abducted a pastor and other residents, holding them for ransom as relatives reported devastating losses.
In response to mounting insecurity, community leaders have repeatedly called for enhanced protection, urging state and federal security forces to increase patrols and establish a stronger presence in vulnerable corridors that lie along bush paths and near state boundaries. Residents argue that rapid, coordinated deployments by police, military and local vigilante networks are essential to deter further incursions and ensure the safety of civilians, particularly in rural areas where formal protection is limited.
Kwara State authorities have, on occasion, reported that police operatives and vigilante groups have engaged attackers to repel raids and secure communities after initial assaults, but the recurring nature of these attacks — even after earlier responses — highlights the scale of the challenge facing security agencies.
The recent surge in violent attacks, including abductions and shootings shortly after Christmas celebrations, has amplified concerns across the state. Families affected by these raids are demanding swift action and more robust preventive measures as they contend with the trauma of lost loved ones, disrupted lives and the fear of future attacks.
As investigations by security agencies continue, authorities are expected to provide updated casualty figures, details of rescue or pursuit operations, and information on the whereabouts of those abducted. In the meantime, residents have been urged to remain vigilant, share credible intelligence with security operatives, and take precautions amid ongoing uncertainty about future raids.
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