JUST IN: Bandits Invade Kwara Community, Burn Vehicles in Early Morning Raid

Suspected bandits in the early hours of Friday invaded Eruku community in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, setting a vehicle ablaze before they were repelled by local security operatives.

Residents said the attack occurred around 5:00 a.m. when heavily armed gunmen stormed the community, firing sporadically and causing panic among villagers.

A resident who spoke about the incident said the community had suffered repeated attacks by suspected bandits in recent times, raising concerns over the worsening security situation in the area.

“Eruku is my village. This is not the first time bandits are attacking us,” the resident said. “The last time they came, they struck during a church live programme.”

The resident added that the gunmen returned in the early hours of Friday, shooting into the air and burning a vehicle during the raid.

“The bandits came very early in the morning and burned a vehicle. I heard they are kidnapping and killing people. We are calling for help because this place is no longer safe,” the resident said.

However, a local security source said operatives, including vigilantes and forest guards, confronted the attackers and prevented the situation from escalating.

“It was an attempted kidnapping which was repelled by security operatives,” the source said.

Eruku community lies near the boundary between Kwara State and Kogi State, an area residents say has become increasingly vulnerable to attacks by armed groups operating from nearby forests.

A source explained that the proximity to communities in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, where banditry and kidnapping have intensified, has made Eruku and neighbouring settlements easy targets for criminal gangs.

“This is the boundary between Kogi and Kwara. The entire Yagba West axis is facing serious bandit attacks. They are killing and abducting people there, and now they are also coming to our communities,” the source added.

Residents lamented that the repeated attacks have left many villagers living in fear, with some families considering relocating if urgent security measures are not taken.

They called on the Kwara State Government and security agencies to deploy more personnel and strengthen security presence in the border communities to prevent further attacks.