Kwara State — Armed terrorists suspected to be bandits invaded the ancient town of Kakafu in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State on Sunday morning, abducting four residents in a brazen attack that has heightened fears over rising insecurity in the area.
Eyewitness accounts indicate that the assailants, numbering about ten, stormed the community and fired sporadic gunshots into the air, triggering panic and forcing residents to flee for safety. Amid the chaos, four individuals attempting to escape were reportedly overpowered and taken into a nearby forest.
Sources within the community said the identities of the abducted victims had not been officially confirmed as of press time, though preliminary information suggests that most of them are women. A resident who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed the incident, adding that several locals have since fled to neighboring communities over fears of further attacks.
“This is another disturbing development. The security situation in rural parts of the state is getting worse. Armed groups now move freely with little or no resistance,” the source lamented.
The latest attack occurred less than 24 hours after another violent incident in the same local government area. On Saturday, suspected bandits reportedly attacked a vigilante and community guards’ checkpoint along Gamji Road in Gbugbu, also in Patigi LGA.
During the confrontation, a Nigerian Army officer sustained a gunshot wound to the leg, while a vigilante operative suffered a serious injury to the forehead.
A senior officer at the Patigi Divisional Police Headquarters confirmed both incidents, stating that security agencies are intensifying efforts to rescue the abducted victims and restore calm to the affected communities.
“We are working in collaboration with other security agencies to secure the safe release of the victims and ensure the protection of lives and property,” the officer said.
Residents, however, continue to call for increased security presence and proactive measures to curb the escalating wave of attacks in the region.
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