At least 15 members of a local vigilante group and hunters lost their lives in the early hours of Sunday after suspected bandits stormed Oke-Ode in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
Several residents were also reported abducted during the raid, plunging the community into grief and fear.
A video shared online captured the lifeless bodies of some of the slain vigilantes lined up on the ground.
Confirming the incident, a vigilante member in the town, identified only as Ajetunmobi, faulted official reports that security forces had repelled the invaders.
“We have been hearing that the bandits were around the community since Saturday night, and we sent out messages to security operatives to be prepared.
“To our surprise, this morning the attackers started the attack from the duty post, targeting the vigilantes,” he recounted.
According to him, those killed included Oji, Saheed Metubi, Baale Ógba Ayo, among others.
The corpses, he said, were deposited at the police station, while the wounded were taken to the General Hospital in Share.
Ajetunmobi accused the government of negligence despite prior intelligence about the planned assault.
“The government failed in its primary duty. Information has been circulating for some time now that they were planning to attack Oke-Ode. Why were the soldiers withdrawn?” he asked.
Reacting to the killings, the National President of the Oke-Ode Community Development Association, Alhaji Ganiyu Ajala, condemned the violence and urged stronger state action.
“While commending the government on the various security measures already put in place, we call for redoubling of efforts towards completely routing these undesirable elements from the Oke-Ode axis and the entire state in general,” Ajala said.
Meanwhile, in a separate attack just hours before the Oke-Ode tragedy, gunmen invaded Tsaragi in Edu Local Government Area and abducted a businessman, Suleiman Ndana, popularly known as “Manager.”
The midnight raid, which took place around 12 a.m., left the town unsettled as the heavily armed assailants shot sporadically before whisking Ndana away.
A resident, Mohammed Sanda, who witnessed the incident, described it as coordinated.
“The attack happened around 12 a.m. The gunmen came in large numbers, shooting into the air, and went directly for the Manager. Their target was clearly him. They took him away, and since then, there has been no word on his whereabouts,” he explained.
Residents believe Ndana’s recent investment in a new filling station in Yana Kokonna, Tsaragi, may have attracted the kidnappers’ attention.
Sunday’s wave of attacks came just four days after bandits stormed Maganiko Ndanangi in Lafiagi Emirate, abducting a woman, Aisha “Gogo,” and a 16-year-old girl, Amina.
In a related development, Kwara State Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina Ahmed El-Imam, has approved the relocation of the 2025 Medical and Surgical Outreach Programme for Ifelodun LGA from the Specialist Hospital in Oke-Ode to the Cottage Hospital in Omupo.
The event, scheduled for Tuesday, October 14, will offer free consultations, surgeries, and other medical services. El-Imam said the decision followed security reviews in the affected communities.
“The relocation was aimed at ensuring wider accessibility and improved service delivery to communities within the local government area,” she noted in a statement issued by her press secretary, Hamdalat Saad.
Confirming awareness of the incidents, the Kwara State Police Command’s spokesperson, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said more details would be provided soon.
“The command is aware of the attacks. I am waiting for detailed information from the divisions.
“As soon as I get them, it will be made available to you,” Ejire-Adeyemi stated.
The latest incidents deepen concerns over rising insecurity across Kwara North and South, where farmers, traders, and even traditional rulers have increasingly become targets of ransom-seeking gunmen.
Residents say the relentless attacks, often carried out under the cover of night, have left many communities traumatized and desperate for urgent intervention.
