Gunmen attack Kwara communities, burn Emir’s palace, kill worshippers

Residents across parts of Kwara State have been thrown into panic following a fresh escalation of violent attacks and abductions allegedly carried out by armed bandits, with coordinated assaults reported in Baruten and Ekiti Local Government Areas.

The most recent attack occurred late Sunday night in Yashikira, a community in Baruten Local Government Area, where armed men reportedly stormed the area in large numbers, shooting indiscriminately and setting parts of the Emir’s palace on fire.

Witnesses said the attackers abducted several residents, including women and children, and whisked them into surrounding forest routes.

Local accounts indicated that the assailants operated for hours with little or no immediate resistance, deepening concerns over worsening insecurity in border communities within Kwara North.

Residents said the attackers created widespread panic as they moved through the community, targeting homes and public structures during the raid.

Security sources confirmed that combined teams of military personnel and police operatives have since launched search-and-rescue missions in the area.

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According to the sources, checkpoints and operational cordons have been established around affected communities to restrict the movement of the attackers and support ongoing rescue efforts.

There were also reports that the gunmen attempted to attack nearby police facilities but were repelled by security operatives.

The Kwara State Police Command had yet to release an official statement on the Yashikira incident at the time of filing this report.

The latest attack comes on the heels of another deadly assault earlier in the week in Ekiti Local Government Area, where gunmen invaded a night vigil at Ori-Oke Ajaiye near Ikiran village. During the attack, three worshippers were killed while 15 others were abducted.

The police in Kwara State had earlier confirmed the Ekiti LGA incident, describing it as “gruesome, barbaric and unacceptable.” Police spokesperson, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said the attackers struck around 8:30 p.m., opening fire on worshippers before taking several victims away.

She further noted that tactical squads, intelligence units, Mobile Police Force operatives, and the Police Drone Team were immediately deployed to the area to commence coordinated rescue operations.

The back-to-back incidents have heightened fear across rural communities in Kwara, particularly in border areas such as Baruten, which share difficult terrain and porous boundaries that stretch toward Niger Republic routes, often believed to be exploited by criminal groups.

Community leaders and residents have repeatedly raised concerns over recurring kidnappings, night raids, and attacks on places of worship, warning that the trend is making life increasingly unsafe in several villages across the region.

Security analysts say the geography of Kwara North, combined with forested corridors and limited security presence in remote settlements, continues to make the area vulnerable to armed groups operating across state and international borders.

The latest wave of violence has triggered renewed calls for increased military deployment, improved intelligence gathering, and stronger collaboration between security agencies, local vigilante groups, and community stakeholders.