Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State has confirmed the deaths of three soldiers in a brazen early-morning assault by suspected bandits on the Kemanji community in Kaiama Local Government Area. The attack, which occurred around 3 a.m. on Monday, April 20, 2026, saw armed men target a joint security post in the border community, engaging soldiers and local vigilantes in a fierce gun battle that lasted for two hours. In a Facebook post on Monday evening, the governor praised the fallen soldiers for their bravery in repelling the attackers and preventing what could have been a mass kidnapping. “At about 3 a.m. today, we lost three gallant soldiers as they courageously beat back a terrorist attack on their position in Kemanji, Kaiama,” AbdulRazaq wrote. “These brave men not only repelled the terrorists and prevented them from accessing the community, but they also ensured that no one was kidnapped as the terrorists had intended.” He extended his condolences to the families of the deceased, describing them as heroes who paid the ultimate price in service to the nation, and vowed that no resource would be spared to protect the lives and property of the people.
Residents and security sources have painted a chaotic picture of the attack, which saw the assailants storm the security formation with overwhelming force.
A former council chairman, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Daily Trust that the gunmen arrived in large numbers and directly targeted the security post comprising soldiers, forest guards, and vigilantes. “They came into Kemanji around 3 a.m. and attacked the security post. They killed three soldiers and two vigilantes, while many others were injured,” he said. In a devastating blow to local security, the attackers reportedly carted away an army gun truck, along with about twelve motorcycles, guns, and ammunition. “They also took about twelve motorcycles, guns and ammunition, and even went away with the army gun truck,” the source added, noting that the injured were evacuated to hospitals, with severe cases referred to the state capital, Ilorin.
Eyewitness accounts confirmed that the terrorists did not target civilians or attempt any abductions during the raid. A resident, Mohammed Mohammed, said the attackers initially overwhelmed the troops before security forces launched a pursuit operation. “They invaded the community and killed three military officers. They took their armoured vehicle along with motorcycles, arms and ammunition,” he said. Another resident raised alarm over suspected local collaboration, noting that the attackers were able to evacuate their own casualties using the stolen army vehicle. “The army also neutralised some of them, but they carried their people away using the army vehicle they took. That raises suspicion that they may have informants around,” the resident added.
The village head of Kemanji, Alhaji Sanni Zikki, confirmed the attack and traced the origins of the assailants to the vast Kainji National Park, a forest reserve straddling Kwara and Niger states that has become a known hideout for criminal gangs. “The bandits came from the Kainji National Park and attacked our security men. We lost three soldiers. Some others were injured,” Zikki said. He dismissed claims that the attackers had issued prior threats to the community, insisting there were no civilian casualties and that security operatives had resisted the attack despite its intensity. “There were heavy gunshots everywhere. It was intense, but the security men tried,” he said.
However, conflicting reports regarding the exact death toll have emerged, a common challenge in the immediate aftermath of such incidents due to the fog of battle and the military’s cautious approach to releasing official figures. While Governor AbdulRazaq and several major news outlets reported three soldiers killed, others have cited higher numbers.
A forest guard who fights alongside military operatives told The ICIR that the attackers “killed three soldiers and injured four others (three soldiers and a local vigilante).” Nigerian Tribune reported that four soldiers and a member of the local vigilance team were killed. Similarly, Arise TV cited community members confirming that four soldiers and one vigilante operative lost their lives. Amid these discrepancies, the governor’s official confirmation serves as the most authoritative figure, though the true toll may only become clear after a full military assessment.
The Monday morning attack is the latest in a troubling resurgence of violent incidents in Kaiama Local Government Area, a remote and largely agrarian region that has become increasingly vulnerable to banditry. Just ten days earlier, on April 10, suspected bandits killed five members of the National Forest Guard in Nuku village, also in Kaiama, and set security patrol vehicles ablaze. In February 2026, armed assailants attacked the communities of Woro and Nuku, where over 200 residents were reportedly killed and 176 others abducted, including women and children. Governor AbdulRazaq described that incident as a “pure massacre,” prompting President Bola Tinubu to order the deployment of additional troops under Operation Savannah Shield to reinforce security in the state. Despite these measures, residents say the remote location of affected communities, often far from security formations, continues to hamper rapid response efforts.
In the aftermath of the attack, aggrieved youths in the area called for a temporary suspension of political activities, describing the incident as a moment of collective grief. “All political postings are hereby suspended till further notice. This is a moment of national grief. Bandits have killed our soldiers in Kemanji, under the Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.
These men died protecting us. We mourn with their families, the Nigerian Armed Forces, and the people of Kemanji. No politics. We stand with our troops,” the youth said in a statement. A prominent community member and former Students’ Union President, A.K. Musa, decried the worsening insecurity and urged leaders to take decisive action. “The truth representation is to have leaders who can speak, stand and fight against insecurity, and identify those connected to the criminals terrorising our community,” Musa said. He also stressed the need for accountability, warning that any leader, whether political or traditional, who cannot stand for their people should resign.
As troops continue a pursuit operation into the surrounding forests, the people of Kemanji and the wider Kaiama region wait anxiously, knowing that this attack is not an isolated event but a symptom of a deepening security crisis that has yet to find a solution. Calls placed to the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, and the Chairman of Kaiama Local Government Area, Hon. Abubakar Abdullahi, were not answered as of the time of filing this report, leaving a void of official communication that has only deepened the community’s sense of abandonment.
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