Suspected bandits on Sunday morning launched a deadly attack on Lata Nna community in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State, killing a woman, abducting another resident and leaving several others feared dead.
Multiple residents who spoke to SaharaReporters said the attack was still ongoing as of the time of filing this report. They said the heavily armed assailants stormed the community, firing indiscriminately and forcing residents to flee into nearby bushes and other safe locations.
The residents decried the absence of security personnel, accusing the authorities of failing to protect the community despite repeated appeals over persistent security threats in the area.
One of the residents said, “Lata Nna is currently under attack right now by bandits.”
The latest assault comes barely a day after a resident identified as Mohammed Abubakar Ndakpada Lata was abducted by suspected bandits while returning from his farm, with his captors reportedly demanding ₦100 million ransom for his release.
Speaking to SaharaReporters, a resident said the attackers killed villagers, adding that the exact number of casualties had yet to be established.
“Some people were killed. The victims were at the back of the village. They were just killed there,” the source said.
“As I’m speaking with you, I have not yet confirmed the total number of people killed. However, I can confirm that one Nupe woman was killed. She had gone behind the village to fetch firewood and was attacked.
“The woman is dead. People are now searching the area, and we will know later if there are more victims. As I’m talking to you, I cannot confirm that yet.”
The resident narrated how the attack caught the community by surprise, noting that there was no security presence when the gunmen struck.
“I was in the town when I suddenly heard gunshots. I was wondering what was happening because there is no security presence in our village,” the resident said.
“The gunshots were not from locally made guns. We believe the attackers came unexpectedly. The vigilantes responded, but before they got there, they confirmed that one woman had already been killed.”
The resident lamented that the latest attack was only one in a long series of invasions that have turned life in the community into a nightmare, saying kidnappings and killings have become almost a daily occurrence.
Responding to a question on whether the attack was the first on the community, the source said: “Just the day before yesterday, my uncle was kidnapped while returning from his farm. The farm is less than two kilometres from the village. Yesterday, the kidnappers called and demanded a ransom of ₦100 million.
“Yes, he is still in their custody. These attacks happen almost every day. We have repeatedly appealed to the government to establish a military camp in our community, but they keep telling us the process is ongoing. Meanwhile, people are being killed and kidnapped every day. I don’t know what is going on.”
Residents said the continued attacks have left the community living in fear, as armed bandits reportedly move freely through the area while villagers remain vulnerable to repeated kidnappings and killings.
(SaharaReporters)