10 people killed, houses set ablaze as bandits attack Kwara communities
Ten people have been killed during a fresh attack by some bandits who invaded the Woro and Nuku communities in the Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.
It was gathered that the attackers stormed the communities in their numbers, killing over 10 people and burning down buildings and other property.
Plunging residents of the communities into mourning, the bandits were said to have launched the attack on the evening of Tuesday, January 3.
Sources within the communities said the attackers are believed to have been operating from the dense forest of the Borgu National Park in neighbouring Niger State.
According to sources, the bandits invade rural settlements in large numbers at about 6pm.
They shoot sporadically into the air while causing panic with villagers fleeing into the bushes for safety.
The bandits also specialise in moving from house-to-house within the communities to force occupants to abandon their homes, leading to massive displacement of residents.
Confirming the incident, the Kwara State Government expressed concerns over the loss of lives and the destruction of property.
Rafiu Ajakaye, the chief press secretary to Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq said the governor was monitoring the situation personally
According to Ajakaye, Governor Abdulrazaq has been fully briefed on the situation by the heads of the state’s security agencies.
“The Governor condemns the attack, which he says is a cowardly expression of frustration by terrorist cells following the ongoing counter-terrorism campaigns in parts of the state and the successes so far recorded,” Ajakaye said.
He also claimed that the attack was a calculated attempt to divert the attention of security forces who have recently recorded successes in hunting down kidnapping gangs and dismantling criminal networks operating around forested border areas.
In addition, Ajakaye said the governor who also commiserates with the families of the victims, has ordered the security agencies to intensify counter-terrorism operations in Kaiama Local Government Area and its environs.
