A resident was killed and two abducted victims were rescued after suspected terrorists invaded Aboki Community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State and launched an attack on residents before being confronted by security operatives and local vigilantes.
SaharaReporters gathered that the incident occurred on Tuesday when the armed terrorists stormed the community, creating panic among residents.
Sources familiar with the incident told SaharaReporters that the attackers brutally killed an unidentified man during the invasion and abducted two other residents before attempting to escape from the area.
According to the sources, security operatives, working alongside local vigilante groups, swiftly mobilised and pursued the terrorists after receiving information about the attack.
The combined security team reportedly engaged the gunmen, forcing them to abandon their captives and flee into the surrounding area.
“The terrorists killed one person during the attack and abducted two residents. Security operatives and local vigilantes immediately responded, engaged the attackers and successfully rescued the two kidnapped victims. The terrorists fled after the confrontation,” a source told SaharaReporters.
The rescued victims were said to have regained their freedom unharmed, while efforts were ongoing to track down the fleeing terrorists.
The killing has thrown Aboki Community into mourning, with residents expressing concerns over the recurring security threats facing communities in parts of Kaiama Local Government Area and other areas of Kwara State.
SaharaReporters previously reported that residents of Babanla, a community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, have accused influential individuals of intimidating locals into silence over the worsening insecurity in the area, alleging that they were warned not to speak publicly because of a notorious bandit kingpin said to be residing in the town.
The latest outcry followed a fresh attack on Monday, during which bandits allegedly killed one resident and abducted another, further deepening fear among residents who insist that Babanla has become the operational headquarters of criminal gangs terrorising Igbomina land.
A distressed resident, who spoke in a voice note obtained by SaharaReporters and delivered in the Yoruba language, lamented that people in Babanla were being silenced despite repeated killings and kidnappings.
According to the resident, some members of the community discouraged others from speaking publicly about the security crisis, claiming that remaining silent would prevent further attacks.
However, the resident insisted that the silence had only emboldened the criminals.
“They told us not to say anything about the insecurity in Babanla because of the bandit kingpin who resides in Babanla. Yet they keep killing our people and kidnapping them.
“Whenever someone is abducted, we must cry out. We must speak up. We cannot remain silent. But some people say that if we keep quiet, everything will be fine. No—it is because of that silence that things have become worse.”
The resident described the latest attack as another painful chapter in what has become a prolonged security nightmare for the community.
“Today, they killed one person in Babanla and abducted another. Listen carefully—they carried out another attack today. They killed one person and kidnapped another person in Babanla today.
“May God have mercy on us. May He protect us and fight the battles against us. This is a difficult and bitter battle, but it will not overcome us, in the name of Jesus.
“Just as our lamps do not go out suddenly, our lives will not be cut short either.”
The resident declared that Babanla has become the headquarters of bandits in Igbomina land, alleging that several locations within and around the town now serve as hideouts for armed gangs.
(SaharaReporters)
