Gunmen Invade Kwara Community, Abduct Four Family Members

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.