Less than 48 hours after three worshippers were killed and 15 others abducted at a prayer ground in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara state, bandits have again invaded Yashikira Emir’s palace in Baruten LGA of the state, abducting another 10 people.
This has sparked fear and panic amongst residents of Kwara State over a dangerous escalation of bandit attacks.
The coordinated assault, which occurred around 2am on Monday, saw the bandits invade the Emir’s palace.
According to local sources, the bandits invaded the Emir’s palace, setting portions of the royal residence ablaze and forcefully abducting 10 residents, including members of the community and the traditional household, before fleeing into the surrounding forests.
In a statement, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, spokesperson of the Kwara police command, said the bandits attacked the palace and the Yashikira police station simultaneously around 2am 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 reads.
“During the attack, part of the palace was set ablaze, while ten people were abducted and taken to an unknown destination. However, the attack on the police station was successfully repelled by police operatives on duty.”
The command said Ojo Adekimi, commissioner of police, has ordered a full-scale, intelligence-driven tactical operation involving the police, military, forest guards, vigilantes, and other security stakeholders to comb the surrounding forests and suspected criminal hideouts to rescue the victims unhurt.
The commissioner warned that the police would not bow to threats, intimidation, or acts of terror orchestrated by bandits and criminal elements operating within any part of the state.
“The command remains battle-ready and fully determined to confront these enemies of peace with every lawful operational asset and strategy at its disposal,” he said.
“These criminals have declared war against peace-loving citizens, and we are fully prepared to hunt them down relentlessly.
“We will deploy everything within our operational capacity to smoke them out of hiding, dismantle their networks, rescue all abducted victims, and ensure they face the full wrath of the law.”
The command assured residents of Yashikira, Baruten LGA, and the entire state that security operations have been intensified across vulnerable areas.
It added that surveillance, intelligence gathering, and aggressive bush-combing operations are ongoing.
The incident comes amid rising security concerns in the south-west following recent attacks in parts of Oyo state.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass had reported that on May 16, gunmen riding motorcycles invaded communities within the Ahoro-Esiele/Yawota axis of Oriire, Ogbomoso, abducting students and staff members of Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele; L.A. Primary School, Esiele; and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School.
The attackers killed an assistant headmaster identified as Joel Adesiyan and a commercial motorcyclist, sparking outrage across the country.
