Suspected armed bandits have attacked Yashikira community in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, abducting 10 persons and setting part of the Emir’s palace on fire.
The Kwara State Police Command confirmed that the attack occurred in the early hours of Monday during a coordinated assault on both the Yashikira Police Divisional Headquarters and the palace of the Emir, Alhaji Umar Seriki.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, the command described the incident as a desperate and coordinated operation carried out by armed criminals around 2:00 a.m.
According to the statement, while the attackers succeeded in abducting 10 persons and burning part of the palace, security operatives on duty repelled the assault on the police station.
The police said the command had launched a full-scale tactical operation involving the military, police, forest guards, vigilantes and other security stakeholders to rescue the victims and apprehend those responsible.
Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, assured residents that security agencies remained committed to confronting criminal groups operating in the area.
Residents earlier disclosed that the attackers stormed the community between midnight and 2:00 a.m., firing gunshots before advancing toward the palace and nearby areas.
A resident said three wives and four children of the Emir were among those abducted during the attack.
Another witness, identified as Tukur Ahmed, said the assailants arrived on motorcycles and headed directly to the palace, where they broke into the inner quarters and abducted members of the royal household alongside other residents.
He added that several vehicles within the palace were also set ablaze, causing heavy property damage.
Sources confirmed that the Emir was not in the palace at the time of the attack.
Security operatives have since commenced bush-combing and surveillance operations across the area in search of the abducted victims and the fleeing attackers.
Kwara North has witnessed increasing cases of banditry in recent months, with repeated attacks on rural communities, highways and traditional institutions across Baruten, Kaiama, Edu and Patigi local government areas.
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