Fresh fear has gripped Kwara State after armed men kidnapped 10 people from the palace of the Emir of Yashikira in Baruten Local Government Area, barely two days after worshippers were attacked in another part of the state.
The latest assault happened in the early hours of Monday when gunmen launched coordinated attacks on the Yashikira Emir’s palace and the divisional police headquarters in the area.
In a statement, the spokesperson of the Kwara State Police Command, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, confirmed that the attackers struck around 2 a.m., setting part of the palace on fire before abducting residents.
“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.
“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 incident comes less than 48 hours after gunmen reportedly killed three worshippers and abducted 15 others at a prayer ground in Ekiti Local Government Area of the state, deepening concerns over worsening insecurity in Kwara.
Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, has now ordered a large-scale security operation involving the police, military personnel, forest guards, vigilantes, and other security agencies.
Authorities said the joint operation would focus on surrounding forests and suspected criminal hideouts in an effort to rescue the abducted victims safely.
The police commissioner vowed that security forces would not surrender to intimidation or violent attacks by armed groups operating in the state.
“These criminals have declared war against peace-loving citizens, and we are fully prepared to hunt them down relentlessly,” Adekimi said.
“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.”
Police authorities also assured residents of Yashikira and other vulnerable communities that surveillance operations, intelligence gathering, and aggressive bush-combing exercises had already been intensified.
The latest attacks have added to growing security worries across parts of the South-West region. Earlier this month, gunmen riding motorcycles stormed communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, abducting students and school workers while killing an assistant headmaster and a commercial motorcyclist.
