- Suspected terrorists launched simultaneous raids late Wednesday night, targeting rural villages in the Ifelodun and Edu Local Government Areas of Kwara State.
- Residents of Budesu, Ahun, and Bishewa communities were forced to flee into the forest as armed assailants opened fire to facilitate mass abductions.
- Local youth leaders and survivors have issued an urgent plea to the state government and security agencies for immediate intervention, as the attackers are believed to still be hiding in nearby forests with their captives.
Fear and uncertainty have gripped the rural heartlands of Kwara State following coordinated attacks by armed gunmen on several communities late Wednesday night, March 11, 2026.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the assailants, described by witnesses as arriving in large numbers, targeted the villages of Budesu and Ahun in Ifelodun Local Government Area, as well as the Bishewa community in Edu Local Government Area.
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According to survivors who spoke under the condition of anonymity, the operation began under the cover of darkness with sporadic gunfire intended to cause panic.
As villagers scrambled for safety in the surrounding bushes, the gunmen moved through the communities in what appeared to be a mission to abduct residents.
While the exact number of victims remains unconfirmed, several families have reported missing loved ones, a hallmark of the banditry tactics that have plagued northern and north-central Nigeria.
“The bandits came late and started shooting everywhere,” one resident recounted. “We are still trying to count our people and see who was taken. Many people are still hiding in the bush because they are afraid to come back to their houses.”
The latest violence follows a disturbing pattern of insecurity in Kwara. Just days prior, on March 8, 2026, similar raids in the Babanla area of Ifelodun led to the kidnapping of six people, including the Chief Imam of the town, Alhaji Sarafa Raheem.
These recurring attacks have left local security networks, including hunters and vigilantes, stretched thin as they attempt to defend their ancestral lands against superior firepower.
Community youth leaders are now calling for a decisive military and police presence in the affected areas.
There is a growing concern that without rapid deployment, the assailants will escape further into the dense forests bordering neighboring states, making rescue operations significantly more difficult.
“We are appealing to the government to act quickly,” a youth leader stated. “Our people are living in total terror. We need the security forces to flush these criminals out of the forests before they take more of our mothers and children.”
