Suspected bandits on Thursday evening invaded Yaru community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State in a failed attempt to abduct the Oniyaru of Yaru, leaving two residents injured and deepening fears over the worsening security situation across the area.
The heavily armed assailants were reportedly repelled by a combined team of local hunters, vigilantes and military personnel after a fierce confrontation that prevented them from whisking away the traditional ruler.
Security sources said the gunmen had specifically targeted the monarch but failed to execute their mission despite launching what residents described as a surprise invasion on the community.
“The bandits were repelled. Only two injuries were suffered by residents,” one of the sources said.
The attack, however, threw the entire community into panic, with residents expressing fears that rural settlements in the local government area are increasingly becoming vulnerable to the activities of armed groups.
“The whole community is in a panicking mood. We learned they came for the Oniyaru of Yaru, but they failed,” another source disclosed.
According to the sources, the attackers eventually retreated into surrounding bushes after meeting stiff resistance from local security volunteers and soldiers stationed in the area.
“Hunters, vigilantes and soldiers repelled them,” the source added.
The attempted abduction has further heightened concerns about what residents describe as the growing menace of banditry and kidnapping in Ifelodun, with many lamenting what they see as inadequate protection for remote communities.
The latest incident came barely 48 hours after another suspected bandit attack in nearby Gaa Ogele community, where three persons were reportedly kidnapped, fuelling fresh anxieties over the deteriorating security landscape in the region.
A source familiar with the incident said the victims were abducted in Gaa Ogele, a settlement located between Igbaja and Yaru.
“Two days ago, there was a similar incident at Gaa Ogele. Three persons were kidnapped. Ogele is in-between Igbaja and Yaru. They are Fulani-Bororo,” the source said.
The source also raised concerns over what he described as suspicious behaviour by relatives of the kidnapped victims, alleging that they declined to assist security operatives investigating the matter.
“But something is suspicious about them. When hunters, Forest Guards and AKS visited in the morning, the families refused to cooperate. Rather, they preferred to be silent about it,” the source alleged.
The back-to-back attacks have intensified apprehension among residents of Yaru, Gaa Ogele and neighbouring communities, many of whom fear that criminal gangs are steadily expanding their operations across parts of Kwara North.
Community members have renewed calls for stronger military deployment and more aggressive security operations, warning that repeated attacks on villages and traditional institutions could further undermine public confidence and embolden armed groups operating within the region.
The failed attempt to kidnap the Oniyaru of Yaru has once again brought to the fore growing concerns over the safety of traditional rulers in rural Nigeria, as bandits increasingly target influential community leaders in their quest for ransom and territorial dominance.