Panic gripped the Idofin Odo-Ase community in the Oke Ero Local Government Area of Kwara State on Thursday when armed assailants launched a deadly nighttime attack, killing three residents and forcing many villagers to flee their homes.
According to eyewitnesses, the attackers stormed the peaceful community in the evening, firing shots indiscriminately and attacking residents inside their homes before escaping into nearby forests.
“They came suddenly, shooting and shouting. We ran into the bush, but three people were killed instantly,” one terrified resident told SaharaReporters. “People are leaving the community this morning because we don’t know if they will come back.”
The victims reportedly included two people who were shot and another who was stabbed during the violent invasion. Residents lamented the absence of security forces during and after the incident, noting that the assailants operated without resistance.
“We didn’t see police or soldiers. The killers moved freely,” another source said. “Everyone is scared. Families are packing their belongings and leaving for nearby towns.”
This incident has reignited fears across the Kwara South axis, which has witnessed a string of violent attacks in recent months.
In a related development, bandits attacked Efagi village under the Lafiagi Emirate in Edu Local Government Area early Friday morning. During the assault, which occurred between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m., a man and his wife were abducted, while a local vigilante member was injured while trying to resist the attackers.
A resident who spoke to NupekoTV Lafiagi said the gunmen shot sporadically as they entered the village, creating chaos and panic.
“The couple was kidnapped from their home, and a vigilante who tried to stop them was injured,” the witness said.
However, troops of the Nigerian Army reportedly responded swiftly, engaging the bandits and rescuing the kidnapped woman, although her husband remains missing.
“The Army arrived almost immediately and confronted the attackers,” the resident added. “They managed to rescue the woman from the bandits.”
These attacks highlight the worsening insecurity in rural parts of Kwara State, where residents continue to live in fear amid repeated cases of killings, kidnappings, and bandit invasions.
