A fresh wave of insecurity was recorded in Kwara State after 11 residents of Isapa, a community near Eruku in the Ekiti Local Government Area, were abducted by armed bandits during an evening raid on Monday.
The attack was carried out around 6:00 p.m., when a group of heavily armed men estimated at 20 to 30 stormed the community. Sporadic gunshots were reported, causing widespread panic as residents fled for safety. During the chaos, an elderly woman was said to have been injured by a stray bullet.
It was confirmed by community sources that seven members of a single family were taken. The abducted victims were identified to include a 22-year-old pregnant woman, two nursing mothers, and several children. Their names were listed as Talatu Kabiru (20), Magaji (6), Kande (5), Hadiza (10), Mariam (6), Saima (5), Habibat (housewife), Fatima Yusufu (housewife), Sarah Sunday (pregnant), Lami Fidelis (nursing mother), and Haja Na Allah (nursing mother).
Spent AK-47 shells were later recovered at different spots in the community, indicating that the attackers arrived with sophisticated weapons. The gunmen were said to have moved the victims into the forest after the operation.
Tension has since risen across Isapa and neighbouring areas, with residents expressing fear over the growing frequency of abductions. Search efforts were immediately intensified by local vigilantes, while security operatives were deployed to track the kidnappers.
The incident was confirmed by the Kwara State Police Commissioner, Adekimi Ojo, who stated that investigations were ongoing and that operational steps were being taken to secure the victims’ release.
The latest abduction occurred barely 24 hours after 38 worshippers were reportedly kidnapped during a church thanksgiving service in another part of the state, heightening concerns over worsening security challenges in Kwara.
