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PATIGI, Kwara State — Armed terrorists on Friday night carried out a brutal raid on a farming community in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State, abducting many residents in what neighbours describe as a “terror-instilling” attack that underscores the deepening insecurity across Kwara North.
According to eyewitnesses, the attackers rode into the community on motorcycles under the cover of darkness, fired sporadically into the air to sow panic, and swiftly overpowered residents before seizing the victims. Security sources confirmed the report, noting that one of the abducted is a male adult, while the others are believed to be youths. Local residents said the assailants were heavily armed and outnumbered any vigilante presence in the village.
The raid sparked mass panic — families reportedly fled into nearby bushland to hide, while dozens of homes were abandoned in fear of further strikes. Some locals say this is the latest in a string of similar attacks in the Patigi area, including a recent assault on a police outpost in Rogun village, which left two security operatives dead and several others wounded.
The Kwara State Police Command has been alerted, and a combined security task force comprising police units, local vigilantes and forest-rangers has been deployed to track down the kidnappers and hopefully rescue the victims. As of now, no public statement has been made regarding ransom demands or negotiations.
Community leaders, speaking anonymously, lamented what they described as a total collapse of security and appealed to the state government and federal authorities for urgent intervention. “We can’t farm, we can’t sleep — we are at the mercy of criminals hiding in the bush,” one elder said.
This incident adds to a growing record of violence in Kwara State’s rural belt, where repeated abductions, attacks on security posts and village raids have displaced thousands and disrupted livelihoods. Dalena Reporters will continue to follow developments, including efforts to rescue the abducted residents, security responses, and any statements from state officials.