ONDO STATE, NIGERIA (NPA): Suspected armed bandits attacked the Agomo community in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, southwest Nigeria, killing the traditional ruler, Oba Kehinde Falodun, on Wednesday.
Eyewitnesses reported that more than ten heavily armed assailants stormed the monarch’s palace and fatally assaulted him during the raid.
The Ondo State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement issued Thursday by its spokesperson, Mr. Abayomi Jimoh. He said the command had launched an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the attack.
“Upon receipt of the report, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), alongside tactical teams from the command, promptly mobilised officers in collaboration with local security outfits,” Jimoh stated.
He added that Atuluse Security, local hunters, and Amotekun operatives joined in combing nearby bushes and surrounding areas to apprehend the perpetrators. “Efforts are ongoing to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects. Monitoring and surveillance activities have been intensified across the area to ensure the safety of residents and prevent further breakdown of law and order. The public is assured that no stone will be left unturned in bringing those responsible for the heinous act to justice,” he said.
Banditry in Nigeria began with sporadic attacks by cattle rustlers and armed gangs around 2011, particularly in Zamfara State. It has since evolved into widespread rural violence, kidnappings, and extortion across the North-West, North-Central, and now increasingly in the South-West.
The tactics of these groups include mass abductions of schoolchildren and worshippers, burning of villages, and ransom-driven extortion.
A recent report (January 2026) estimated that 600,000 people were killed in just 11 months, with more than two million kidnappings and ransom payments exceeding ₦2 trillion. In February 2026, one of the deadliest single attacks occurred in Woro village, Kwara State, where 35 people were killed and homes were set ablaze.
By late 2025, analysts described Nigeria as being “under siege,” with banditry reshaping daily life, destabilizing rural economies, and undermining national security.
