Suspected bandits have abducted four members of the same family in Babanla community, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Wednesday when the victims had gone to their farmland on the outskirts of the community.

Sources said the family members left home around 5:00 a.m. for their routine farming activities when the armed men stormed the area. The assailants were said to have fired sporadically into the air before rounding up the victims.

According to a community source, five persons were initially seized during the attack. However, an elderly man among them was later released, while four others were taken to an undisclosed location.

“It is true that they abducted four family members. They were kidnapped on their farmland this morning,” a female resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed. She explained that the attackers suddenly surrounded the victims while they were working and whisked them away.

The Chairman of Ifelodun Local Government Area, Hon. Femi Yusuf, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview. He questioned the decision to visit the farm at such an early hour in view of prevailing security concerns.

“How and why should anyone go to the farm at 5:00 a.m.? We all know the situation on ground,” he said, expressing frustration over the continued attacks despite the presence of security personnel in the area.

Yusuf noted that soldiers, police officers, vigilantes and forest guards had been deployed to the locality, adding that security agencies should be able to account for the breach.

Babanla and other communities in Ifelodun LGA have in recent times grappled with recurring security challenges, with residents decrying what they describe as inadequate protection for farmers working in remote settlements.

As of the time of filing this report, the identities of the abducted victims had not been officially confirmed, while the state police command was yet to issue a formal statement on the incident.

Meanwhile, residents have called on the government and security agencies to intensify patrols across vulnerable rural communities and ensure the safe return of the abducted family members.

Confusion has reportedly erupted within a factional camp of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) following the death of a senior commander allegedly killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by his own group.

Sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident, which occurred on February 24, triggered internal discord and heightened tensions among insurgents operating in parts of the Lake Chad Basin.

According to the sources, a fighter identified as a Unit Intelligence Member (UIM) confronted a senior commander, Amir Musa, seeking clarification over the circumstances surrounding the deaths of two members of the group.

The UIM reportedly demanded explanations over the killing of one Abu Nazir, said to have been eliminated by fellow ISWAP elements, as well as the death of another senior commander, Abu Kasim.

Abu Kasim was said to have died after an IED planted by his faction detonated along a route where he was operating. The explosion reportedly occurred during clashes between ISWAP and rival Boko Haram elements.

Further accounts indicated that Abu Nazir’s death followed an encounter with fighters from Boko Haram, formally known as Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), who were believed to have been responsible for the earlier killing of Abu Kasim. The sequence of events is said to have compounded suspicion and tension within the camp.

Sources suggested the development points to possible cases of friendly fire, operational lapses and a breakdown in coordination among the insurgents.

The incident also reflects persistent hostilities between ISWAP and JAS, despite both groups tracing their origins to the same insurgent movement in northeastern Nigeria.

Security analysts say such internal rifts may further weaken the operational cohesion of the factions, even as Nigerian security forces continue to mount pressure on terrorist enclaves across the region.

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has commenced an inquiry into allegations that an operative of the State Security Service (SSS) abducted a young woman from Jigawa State, relocated her to Abuja, and impregnated her.

At the centre of the controversy are Walida Abdulhadi, a Muslim from Jigawa State, and Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, an SSS officer. The case has generated widespread public debate, particularly over claims of abduction, religious conversion, and the age of the woman at the time the relationship began.

Walida’s family alleges that she was taken from Jigawa to Abuja against her will, converted to Christianity, and impregnated while still underage. They insist she was born in 2008, making her a minor when the events reportedly began in 2023.

However, in an interview with Weekend Trust, Walida rejected those claims. She stated that she relocated to Abuja voluntarily in 2023 after being assisted by a woman identified as Mariam. She maintained that she was born in 2004 and was already 19 years old when she met Mr Onyewuenyi. She further denied being abducted or coerced into changing her religion.

The dispute over her age remains a critical issue in the case.

Tensions escalated after Walida reportedly declined to return to her family, alleging that her uncle threatened her life over her relationship with a Christian man. The SSS has since said she and her baby are being kept in “protective custody” for safety reasons.

Her family, however, is demanding her release, citing a magistrate court order and accusing the security agency of bias and anti-Islamic conduct.

Speaking on the development, the NSCIA confirmed it is engaging relevant stakeholders before taking a formal position. The Council’s Secretary-General, Ishaq Oloyede, said the body deliberately avoided rushing into public commentary.

He explained that the Council did not want to repeat what it described as the 2015 intervention by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the case involving Yunusa Dahiru and Ese Oruru, which drew national controversy.

Professor Oloyede also noted that the leadership history of the SSS does not suggest religious bias, adding that the Council intends to establish the facts before adopting a definitive stance.

Meanwhile, the Jigawa State Government has formally stepped into the matter.

In a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Hamisu Gumel, the state government said it is closely monitoring the situation to ensure that all legal and administrative procedures are properly followed.

The statement added that Governor Umar Namadi has personally initiated high-level consultations with relevant authorities to guarantee that the case is handled fairly, transparently, and without delay.

The government reassured residents that it remains fully committed to protecting the rights, dignity, and welfare of every indigene of Jigawa State, while urging the public to remain calm as official and legal processes continue.