Fresh violence has erupted in parts of Kwara State as heavily armed men launched coordinated raids on rural communities, killing a pregnant woman, abducting at least 18 people, and rustling large numbers of cattle.
The latest incident occurred early Tuesday when over 40 gunmen riding motorcycles attacked Motokun village in Patigi Local Government Area. Witnesses said the assailants opened fire indiscriminately, forcing residents to run for safety.
“They came on motorcycles with sophisticated weapons. A pregnant woman was shot dead instantly, and several villagers were kidnapped,” a resident told Nupeko TV.
Sources confirmed that eight people were seized in Motokun. At about the same time, another group of armed men struck Fanagun village in the Tsaragi Emirate, abducting three Fulani herders along with their cattle. Dozens of cows were also stolen, worsening the economic strain on the already hard-hit communities.
Villagers said the attackers operated for hours without any intervention from security agencies.
On Monday, SaharaReporters had reported a similar attack in Maganiko Ndanangi, a community under the Lafiagi Emirate in Edu Local Government Area. Armed men invaded the village around midnight, firing into the air before abducting a married woman, identified as Aisha (popularly known as Gogo), and a 16-year-old girl named Amina.
Residents alleged that the attackers left the scene unhindered. The repeated incidents came shortly after the Emir of Lafiagi, Alhaji Mohammed Kudu Kawu, was accused of using palace-backed security personnel and political thugs to stop youths from protesting the increasing wave of attacks in the area.
