Bandits abduct Kwara couple; Army rescues Kogi victims

Suspected bandits have abducted a husband and wife in Lafiagi, the headquarters of Edu Local Government Area in Kwara State, following a midnight invasion of the community. The attack occurred around midnight on Thursday near the Provost Lodge area, where gunmen stormed a residence and took the couple to an undisclosed location.

This incident follows closely on the heels of another attack in Lafiagi just 48 hours prior. On Monday night, suspected bandits raided a Fulani settlement, killing one resident and abducting two women. Community sources indicated that the attackers targeted a Fulani leader, identified as an Ardo, but failed to locate him. After failing to find their intended target, the assailants reportedly abducted two women believed to be wives of the leader before fleeing.

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The gunmen came around 12 a.m. and abducted a Fulani man and his wife from their residence near the Provost Lodge. They took them away, and nobody knows where they have been taken.

Confirming the Monday incident, the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, stated that one man was killed and two women, aged 25 and 35, who were wives of the Seriki Fulani, were abducted. Preliminary investigations suggested the attackers specifically targeted the Fulani leader. The police commissioner added that efforts were underway to track the perpetrators, who fled into the forest after being repelled by the military.

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Yes, one man was killed while two women, 25 and 35 years of age, who are wives of the Seriki Fulani, were abducted.

Meanwhile, in a separate development, troops from the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army successfully rescued two victims following a swift response to a kidnapping incident in Egbe, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State. These contrasting events underscore the persistent security challenges across the country, with bandits continuing their attacks while the military strives to rescue victims and combat criminal activities.

Sources in the Kwara community identified the couple abducted on Thursday as Fulani residents. A local resident, speaking anonymously due to security concerns, reported that the attackers operated under the cover of darkness and escaped with the victims before security operatives could intervene. There is speculation that the latest abduction may be connected to the previous attack, as the male victim is reportedly related to the Fulani leader targeted in the earlier incident.

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The attackers targeted the Fulani leader, Ardo. And for now, we are still on their trail because before we got there, the military had repelled them, and they ran into the forest, but we are on their trail.