Gunmen abduct 25 in Kwara, 3 killed in Ekiti

Crime Diary

LAGOS (Agency Report/NPA) — Suspected bandits carried out coordinated assaults in Kwara State, abducting at least 25 people in two separate incidents, police confirmed on Monday.

According to Reuters, the first attack occurred around 2 a.m. Sunday in Yashikira, Baruten Local Government Area, near Nigeria’s northwestern border. Gunmen stormed the police divisional headquarters, where officers repelled the assault, before setting parts of the Emir of Yashikira’s palace ablaze and abducting 10 residents.

Kwara State Police Commissioner Ojo Adekimi said a joint operation involving the military, forest guards, and local vigilantes has been launched to rescue victims and track down the attackers.

In a separate incident late Friday, armed men targeted a prayer vigil at Ori‑Oke Ajaiye in Ekiti Local Government Area, opening fire on worshippers. Police confirmed three people were killed and 15 abducted. Witnesses said the attackers stormed the gathering around 8:30 p.m., shooting sporadically before taking the victims away.

Authorities have deployed tactical teams, drone units, and mobile force personnel to intensify search‑and‑rescue operations. Kwara, in Nigeria’s north‑central region, has increasingly faced violent spillovers from armed groups operating across forested border areas, often engaging in kidnappings for ransom.

The latest incidents follow a chilling Boko Haram threat on April 27, when the group vowed to marry off or kill 176 abducted women and children from the Woro community in Kaiama LGA if the government failed to negotiate their release.

This report is based on information from Reuters and Newpost Africa.