Suspected Bandits Attack Kwara Communities, Abduct Eight Residents In Morning Raids

By Bunady On Dec 15, 2025

SaharaReporters gathered that the first incident occurred on Monday at about 6:30am at Gaa Jimoh community in Ijara Isin, Isin Local Government Area, when heavily armed men invaded the area in large numbers.

No fewer than eight residents have been abducted in fresh attacks by suspected bandits in parts of Kwara State, as gunmen struck two communities within days, throwing residents into fear and panic.

A medium, National Pilot reports that the residents said the attackers operated for several minutes without resistance, forcefully whisking away five people before fleeing the community.

Those abducted were identified as Adebayo Saheed (male), Adebayo Fatimah (female), Adebayo Salamat (female), Ibrahim Mohammed (male), and Ibrahim Yusuf (male).

A resident explained that the gunmen came early in the morning when people were preparing for the day.

They moved freely for several minutes and took their victims without anyone being able to stop them.

In a related development, another abduction was recorded last Friday at about 7:30pm at Gaa Power Line, Omu-Aran, also in Kwara State.

Local sources disclosed that not less than five armed kidnappers stormed the community, firing sporadically to scare residents before abducting three people.
The victims were identified as Mrs. Fatimah, who was carrying her two-month-old baby, Adama Musa, and Umaru Sanda.

A community leader, who spoke under anonymity, explained that the kidnappers later released Mrs. Fatimah unconditionally along with her infant but escaped with Adama Musa and Umaru Sanda.

Following the twin attacks, police operatives in Omu-Aran, in collaboration with local vigilante groups, have launched a manhunt for the perpetrators.

Earlier, SaharaReporters reported that the Kwara State government faced mounting public outrage after a video went viral showing suspected bandits in possession of AK-47 rifles alongside a security vehicle marked with the logo of Ifelodun Local Government Area.

In the widely circulated footage, the suspects claimed that the operational vehicle had been supplied to them by the “Ilorin government” and alleged that their weapons originated “from Abuja.”

The video sparked outrage online, with many Nigerians accusing the Kwara State Government of secretly arming criminal elements terrorising rural communities.

However, the state government has struggled to distance itself from the scandal, offering a series of explanations that had done little to calm public suspicion.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Commissioner for Communications, Mrs Bolanle Olukoju, denied reports that the Nigerian Army arrested armed bandits in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, describing such claims as false and capable of inciting panic.

The statement read, “Kwara State Government wishes to clarify that the Nigerian Army did not arrest any armed bandit in Ifelodun Local Government Area of the State — contrary to the disinformation spreading on social media platforms.”

According to the government, no security agency reported any arrest of bandits in Ifelodun or elsewhere in Kwara State.

Instead, officials claimed the suspects seen in the viral video were arrested in Auchi, Edo State, despite being in possession of a vehicle clearly marked with an Ifelodun Local Government logo.

“We have carefully watched the short video in circulation in which some individuals arrested said they were in possession of a vehicle given to them by ‘Ilorin Government’ and weapons they received ‘from Abuja,’” the statement said.

“While the content of the video and the whole circumstances around the suspects are being investigated, it is important to clarify that the suspects were not arrested in Ifelodun or any part of Kwara.

“No security agency, including the Army, ever reported such arrests in Kwara. They were reportedly arrested in Auchi, Edo State. Further details are awaited for more clarity.”

The government further argued that no state government has the legal authority to arm anyone with AK-47 rifles, insisting that the suspects did not explicitly say the Kwara State Government supplied them with weapons.

In an attempt to explain the presence of the government-branded vehicle, the administration said the van was originally handed over to vigilantes deployed to Ifelodun to support local security operations.

According to the statement, the vigilantes later left the area, and the vehicle was never returned.

“The Ifelodun Local Government Authority, for its part, has clarified that the security van was given to the vigilantes initially deployed in Ifelodun to strengthen existing security,” it said.

“These vigilantes have since left Ifelodun. However, the LGA had repeatedly complained to relevant authorities that its van was not returned to its pool.”

Despite the explanations, Kwara residents say the government has failed to convincingly explain how a security vehicle meant for community protection ended up in the hands of heavily bandits or why such a sensitive asset was allowed to go missing without immediate recovery.Read Full Original.