Terrorists have struck again in Kwara State, killing one resident, abducting another and leaving several people injured in a coordinated night attack on Wande community in Ifelodun Local Government Area, raising fresh concerns over the escalating insecurity engulfing the state’s southern region.
The Wednesday night invasion sent terrified residents fleeing into nearby bushes as heavily armed attackers stormed the community, shooting indiscriminately and attacking anyone in their path before escaping with a kidnapped victim.
Residents said one person was killed during the assault, while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries. The attack is the latest in a series of violent raids that have continued to terrorise communities across Kwara South, forcing many families to abandon their homes.
One of the survivors narrated how the attackers struck him on the head with the butt of a rifle, leaving him seriously injured.
“They hit me on the head with the butt of their gun. Blood has been coming out from my head. The person they shot is being taken to the hospital in Igbaja. We are on our way,” the victim said.
Residents described the attack as another painful reminder that rural communities in Kwara South have become increasingly vulnerable to armed groups despite repeated security operations.
A security source disclosed that the terrorists had earlier clashed with security operatives in Yaru town on Wednesday morning. According to the source, the troops forced the attackers to retreat, but the gunmen regrouped and fled towards Wande community, where they carried out the deadly assault later that night.
“It was obvious because they pushed them yesterday morning at Yaru again. They ran towards that end,” the security source said.
The latest bloodshed has renewed fears that terrorists are steadily expanding their foothold in Kwara South, where residents say repeated attacks, kidnappings and killings have turned once peaceful farming communities into danger zones.
The incident comes amid controversy surrounding efforts to tackle insecurity in the state. The Iru Ẹ̀kún Security Network, a security outfit linked to Yoruba nation activist Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, recently alleged that Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq opposed its planned visit to the state despite worsening attacks across the region.
In a voice message released by the group’s Osun State Administrator, Bolarinwa Kazeem Ayobami, the organisation said it suspended the visit to avoid exposing its members in Kwara to unnecessary risks after the governor reportedly objected to the trip.
According to the group, the planned visit was intended to strengthen collaboration with its members already operating in Kwara State as communities grapple with persistent attacks by armed groups.
As fear spreads across Kwara South, residents are urging the federal and state governments to intensify military operations, strengthen intelligence gathering and restore security before more communities fall into the hands of terrorists.