Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The people of Lata Nna community in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State have issued a desperate Save Our Soul appeal to President Bola Tinubu, declaring that two years of relentless bandit attacks have turned their agrarian settlement into a "bleeding" community where farming, trading and even sleeping have become impossible. In an SOS letter dated July 18, 2026, and signed by Tauheed Desco, Secretary of the Lata-Nna Youth Association, the community painted a harrowing picture of life under siege, listing a catalogue of attacks that have claimed dozens of lives, displaced families, and crippled the local economy.
“Your Excellency, we can no longer go to our farms, we can no longer go to the market, and we can no longer sleep with our eyes closed. Our only road is a death trap. Our community is bleeding,” the letter read. The residents appealed to the President to order the immediate deployment of security personnel to secure the community, reopen the only access road, and launch a sustained military operation to flush out bandits from their hideouts around the area.
The community's SOS letter detailed a litany of attacks spanning two years, with some incidents standing out for their scale and brutality. According to the letter, about 65 local hunters were killed during a clash with bandits in August 2025, though only 40 bodies were recovered and buried. The hunters were said to have been outgunned, armed with inferior weapons while the bandits wielded sophisticated rifles including AK-47s.
The attacks have continued unabated in 2026. On April 15, 2026, a farmer, Alhassan Ndaba, was gruesomely murdered by bandits on his way to his farm. On June 13, 2026, four armed bandits on two motorcycles entered Lata Nna in broad daylight, moving freely through the community and searching for recharge cards, petrol and other items. On June 26, 2026, bandits invaded and blocked the only road leading into and out of Lata Nna, turning the entire community into a hostage zone. Two residents returning home were shot dead at the blockade. On June 27, 2026, villagers who went to fetch leaves behind the community were attacked and robbed at gunpoint.
On July 10, 2026, bandits invaded Lata Nna in broad daylight, moving from house to house, ransacking homes, looting food items, money and mobile phones. They broke into shops and carted away goods, and stole four motorcycles valued at N1.6 million naira. Just days later, on July 15, 2026, a Point of Sale operator who had just collected cash from a bank was robbed at gunpoint.
The community's SOS letter concluded with a direct appeal to the President: “Mr President, we voted for hope and security. Please do not let Lata Nna be wiped off the map. Please hear our cry and come to our rescue”. The residents also asked for support and justice for the families of victims, particularly Alhassan Ndaba and the two residents killed on June 26. As of the time of filing this report, the Presidency had not issued an official response to the community's SOS letter. The Kwara State Government has also not commented on the community's appeal for federal intervention.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments