Suspected terrorists have struck again in Kwara State, abducting a woman and a teenage girl during a midnight raid on Maganiko Ndanangi, a community under the Lafiagi Emirate in Edu Local Government Area.
It was learnt that the gunmen, who were heavily armed with sophisticated weapons, invaded the community around midnight on Sunday.
Eyewitnesses reported that the assailants fired several gunshots into the air to terrorise residents before seizing their victims.
A resident, who requested to remain anonymous, said the attackers carried out the operation without any resistance from security operatives.
“They came around 12 midnight, shooting everywhere. People ran into the bush. They kidnapped two people, a married woman called Aisha, popularly known as Gogo, and a 16-year-old girl named Amina. They took them away to an unknown location,” the resident said.
The abduction comes against the backdrop of mounting tension in Lafiagi, where residents had planned a protest to draw government attention to rising cases of kidnappings and violent attacks.
However, community members alleged that the Emir of Lafiagi, Mohammed Kawu, deployed thugs and palace-backed security agents to suppress the planned demonstration.
“The people are tired of living in fear, and the protest was meant to send a message to authorities,” one youth leader said. “But since word got out, those pushing for it have been harassed and threatened.”
Residents have since renewed their calls on both the Kwara State government and federal authorities to intervene decisively, warning that communities in Edu, Patigi, and other parts of Kwara North remain under siege from armed groups.
