Fresh Terror Attack Rocks Kwara Hours After Prayer Ground Abduction

Residents of Yashikira community in the Baruten axis of Kwara State were thrown into panic in the early hours of Monday after heavily armed terrorists launched a coordinated attack on the area, invading the Emir’s palace, attacking a police station, and abducting several residents.

The latest assault came barely hours after another deadly attack in Ekiti Local Government Area of the state where armed bandits reportedly killed worshippers at a prayer ground and abducted several others.

Eyewitnesses said the attackers stormed Yashikira around midnight, firing sporadically and creating widespread panic across the community.

Residents disclosed that the attack lasted for several hours, with gunshots echoing across the town as security operatives engaged the attackers in a fierce gun battle.

One resident, who requested anonymity due to security concerns, described the incident as terrifying.

“It was a terrible attack. I live close to the palace and we heard continuous gunfire for hours. Several people close to the Emir were abducted and taken away,” the resident said.

According to the Kwara State Police Command, the attackers simultaneously targeted the Yashikira Police Divisional Headquarters and the palace of the Emir during the assault.

Police spokesperson SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi confirmed the incident in an official statement issued on Monday.

“The armed criminals, in a coordinated and desperate assault at about 0200hrs, simultaneously attacked the Yashikira Police Divisional Headquarters and the Palace of the Emir of Yashikira,” the statement said.

The police further disclosed that part of the Emir’s palace was set ablaze during the attack while at least 10 persons were abducted by the gunmen.

Several residents were also reportedly injured during the invasion, although no deaths had been officially confirmed as of the time of filing this report.

Security operatives were said to have eventually repelled the attackers after prolonged exchanges of gunfire around the affected areas.

The latest incident has heightened anxiety across Kwara communities already grappling with growing insecurity, kidnappings and attacks by armed groups operating around border regions linking Kwara, Niger and parts of the North-Central corridor.

Security operations were reportedly ongoing across the area as authorities intensified efforts to track down the attackers and rescue the abducted victims.