BREAKING: Bandits Abduct Youth Leader’s Sons In Daylight Raid On Kwara Village

Panic has gripped Essanti village in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State after armed bandits abducted two sons of a community youth leader in a brazen daylight attack on Monday.

The victims were reportedly seized around 1:30 p.m. while returning from their farm.

Residents told NupekoTV that the abductors revealed to the victims that they were heading to Essanti after learning that villagers had begun fleeing the community out of fear of repeated night attacks.

A source who later communicated with the kidnappers disclosed that the attackers said abducting the youth leader’s sons would reduce the need for further night invasions, as the move was meant to intimidate residents and weaken the community’s resolve.

The victims, after confirming to their captors that they were from Essanti, were immediately taken hostage.

On Sunday night, bandits launched a violent raid on Marri Village in the Patigi Local Government Area of the state, leaving one person dead and another injured.

According to NupekoTV, the attack, which took place amid heavy rainfall between 9:00 pm and 11:00 pm, saw the assailants storm the community and make away with several motorcycles.

“However, the military responded swiftly to the distress call. With the prompt intervention of the Nigerian Army, all the stolen motorcycles were successfully recovered from the fleeing criminals,” the report said.

According to the report, the swift intervention brought some relief to residents, though security concerns continue to plague Kwara North.

On Sunday, SaharaReporters reported an attack in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state.

The Kwara State Police Command later confirmed that 12 vigilante members, including the Baale (Community leader) of Ogbayo, were killed during the armed attack on Sunday morning.

In a statement on Sunday, the command said the incident occurred at about 7:00 a.m. when gunmen invaded the Ogbayo area of Oke-Ode and opened fire indiscriminately.

“At about 7:00am today, armed men invaded the Ogbayo area of Oke-Ode, shooting sporadically. A combined team of police operatives and members of the National Forest Security Service responded swiftly to the scene, where they discovered 12 lifeless bodies of vigilante members, including the Baale of Ogbayo,” the statement read.

It added that the victims sustained multiple gunshot wounds, while four others who were injured were taken to the hospital for treatment.

The command assured that efforts were underway, in collaboration with the military and the National Forest Security Service, to track down those responsible.