Suspected bandits have carried out fresh attacks on communities across Kwara State, with the first wife of the Baale of Dabu in Ifelodun Local Government Area, a traditional ruler in Isin and several other residents reportedly abducted.
According to The Punch, the victims are said to include women and a child, with the attacks occurring in separate incidents across Kwara South and Kwara North between Friday night and Saturday.
The latest incidents have heightened concerns over insecurity in the state, as residents and community groups renewed calls for stronger security operations to rescue those in captivity and prevent further attacks.
In Dabu, Ifelodun Local Government Area, armed men reportedly invaded the community on Friday night and abducted the Baale’s first wife, popularly known as Iya Ayoka.
The abduction came amid growing concerns over renewed attacks in parts of Kwara South, where several communities have experienced kidnappings and other security incidents in recent months.
The Kwara South Development Forum, in a statement on Sunday, demanded the immediate rescue of Iya Ayoka, stressing that residents could no longer afford to raise ransom for kidnapped victims.
The statement, signed by the forum’s Secretary, Olasehinde Oluwatoba, on behalf of its Convener, Obashola Ridwan, said, “We are not ready to pay a dime. The government needs to bring her back to us.
“The woman is popularly called Iya Ayoka. She has been supportive to many people in her area during this hardship, when many markets have been shut down, and many nearby villages have been deserted,” the group said.
The forum said repeated abductions had imposed significant financial pressure on residents, many of whom had previously contributed money to secure the release of victims.
“Many are begging for food. We have used all our money to pay ransom, so we are tired,” the forum said.
The group also alleged that residents who had earlier fled their communities because of insecurity were returning when the latest attacks occurred.
It warned that continued attacks could force more communities to become deserted unless urgent security measures were implemented.
According to the forum, repeated appeals to the chairman of Ifelodun Local Government Area had not yielded the desired results.
“We have been calling on the Ifelodun Local Government chairman, and he has been assuring us, but nothing has been done,” the organisation said.
The organisation further accused the state government of trying to minimise reports of insecurity in Kwara South.
“And the government doesn’t want us to publicise the attacks and kidnappings, while the insecurity in our region has not stopped,” it added.
The Dabu incident occurred as the forum continued to seek the release of 23-year-old Babatunde Fasilat, who has remained in captivity following an earlier attack on Wande community.
Fasilat was reportedly kidnapped after her father was shot while attempting to resist the attackers.
Accounts differed on the exact date of the attack, with sources giving July 15 and July 26.
A source familiar with the incident, who spoke anonymously on Sunday, said four armed men invaded the community before taking the woman away.
“Her father was shot, and the bullet penetrated the other side of his body.
“The bandits were four. While her father was trying to defend himself, they went to her room and kidnapped her,” the source said.
The Kwara South Development Forum alleged that the kidnappers were demanding N20m for Fasilat’s release and had allegedly taken control of her TikTok account to contact people and make posts in connection with the ransom.
“They are using her TikTok account to make a post and keep calling while demanding ransom, and we have used all available channels to seek government help, but no single response from the Kwara State Government,” the group alleged.
The forum said Fasilat’s father suffered serious injuries during the attack and had continued to battle health problems while the family sought her release.
“Fasilat’s father lost consciousness while the bullet penetrated through his body and came out from the other side. He was hospitalised.
“Now, he is battling with his health and also looking for ways to secure the release of his daughter,” the group said.
In another incident in Kwara South, armed men reportedly abducted the traditional ruler of Igbesi land after invading the community on Saturday.
Igbesi is located within Oke-Onigbin in Isin Local Government Area.
Although details remained unclear, a community elder who spoke anonymously said the attackers stormed the area, fired shots and took the monarch into the bush.
The incident adds to concerns over attacks on traditional institutions and rural communities in Kwara.
In April, suspected bandits reportedly abducted the traditional ruler of Olayinka community in Ifelodun LGA, Oba Salman Aweda, alongside his wife and another resident during a midnight attack.
Meanwhile, gunmen also attacked communities in Edu Local Government Area in Kwara North.
At a fuel station in Kokona village, also known as Yana Tsonga, in the Tsaragi district, the attackers reportedly abducted two people on Friday night.
One of the victims was said to be a final-year student of Adesina College of Education who had gone to the filling station during her sign-out celebration.
The second victim was reportedly a female worker at the station, although some accounts claimed both victims were employees. Their identities had yet to be independently confirmed.
Another attack was reported less than 24 hours later in Wodata Rumallan, also known as Gidan Panu, in the Lafiagi area of Edu LGA.
A source identified as Musa said the attackers invaded the community at about 9:17pm on Saturday and fired shots, sending residents into panic.
Two people, identified as a child, Rukayat, and her stepmother, Hazare, were reportedly missing following the attack.
A community leader, who spoke anonymously due to the security situation, said soldiers arrived about an hour after the gunmen left.
The source said the number of casualties had not been established as efforts continued to assess the extent of the attack.
The incident marked the second reported attack in Edu LGA within 24 hours.
The series of attacks has renewed concerns about the security situation in different parts of Kwara, coming months after other deadly incidents across the state.
The Kwara South Development Forum appealed to the state governor, the Federal Government and security agencies to urgently secure the release of Iya Ayoka, Fasilat and other abducted residents.
“We are calling on the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and security agencies to immediately secure the release of all abducted victims in Kwara South and put an end to insecurity in the region,” the group said.
The forum also urged security agencies to intensify operations in forests and suspected hideouts used by the attackers, while seeking stronger intervention from both the state and Federal Governments.
Efforts to obtain a reaction from the Kwara State Police Command were unsuccessful.
Calls and a text message sent to the Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, had not received a response as of press time.
