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February 15, 2026 l Dalena Reporters
A violent assault by suspected terrorists in Kwara State has left an army officer and three civilians kidnapped and a local vigilante member critically injured, underscoring the escalating security challenges facing several communities in central Nigeria. The attack occurred in Kalalé community, a rural settlement in Kaiama Local Government Area, near the volatile forest belt that has witnessed a surge in insurgent activity in recent weeks.
According to eyewitness accounts and local sources, the assailants believed to be members of **Boko Haram or a splinter faction stormed the community in the early hours of Saturday, February 14. The attackers assaulted residents and shop owners before overpowering security posts. In the ensuing chaos, they abducted three civilians alongside **one serving Nigerian Army officer, whose identity has not yet been released for security reasons. One of the community’s civilian guards, a member of a local vigilante, sustained serious injuries and was rushed to a nearby health facility for treatment.
The severity of the assault has triggered immediate condemnation from local leaders and civil rights advocates, who criticised security lapses and the seeming ease with which the militants carried out their operation. Some residents said the attackers moved with “military-like coordination,” taking advantage of dark, unguarded routes to avoid detection before striking.
Security forces, including the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and local vigilante groups, were reported to have launched a coordinated search and rescue operation shortly after the attack. Patrols have since increased along major access roads and potential escape routes in surrounding forests and bush paths. However, officials have not yet disclosed any confirmed contact with the kidnappers or details of hostage negotiations.
Kwara State authorities are under pressure to provide clear information about ongoing operations, as community members express fear for the safety of the abducted individuals, particularly the army officer whose capture represents a bold escalation by insurgents targeting uniformed personnel.
The latest kidnapping adds to a disturbing pattern of militant activity in parts of Kwara and neighbouring states, where armed groups have frequently carried out abductions, raids on villages, and attacks on isolated travellers. With several recent high-profile kidnappings still unresolved, analysts warn that criminal networks and insurgent factions have been emboldened by gaps in rural security coverage.
Families of the abducted civilians have called on federal and state authorities to intensify rescue efforts and keep the public informed, while civil society organisations demand an urgent national strategy to protect vulnerable communities in conflict-prone zones.
As investigations and manhunt operations continue, the situation remains fluid, and concerns are mounting over the safety of hostages and the potential for further attacks in communities long exposed to insecurity.