Three Suspected Bandits Killed as Security Forces Foil Kwara Attack

Three suspected bandits were killed and a kidnapped businessman rescued after security operatives foiled an attack on Aboki Community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The attack, which occurred at about 10:15 p.m. on Tuesday, claimed the life of a resident identified simply as Musa after gunmen stormed the community and opened fire indiscriminately.

The attackers abducted a businessman, Tuhkur Sanni, before residents alerted security agencies through the Kaiama Bokobaru emergency communication platform, prompting a swift response.

Military personnel, police officers and local vigilantes mobilised to the community and engaged the attackers in a gun battle, successfully rescuing the abducted businessman, who sustained injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment.

Security operatives neutralised three of the four suspected bandits during the operation, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining suspect.

Residents said the attackers operated for about 15 minutes, forcing people to flee as gunfire echoed across the community.

A resident, Aliyyu Ahmad, said the businessman appeared to have been the primary target of the attack, noting that the casualty toll could have been higher if the entire community had been targeted.

He also expressed concern over recurring insecurity in Kaiama, attributing the attacks to the area’s proximity to the Kainji Lake National Park and the border with the Republic of Benin, which he said provide hideouts and escape routes for criminal groups.

Ahmad appealed to the Federal Government to expedite the deployment of the recently approved military battalion for Kaiama and called for intensified efforts to flush out criminal elements from the surrounding forest reserves.

Confirming the incident, the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, said Musa was killed during the attack, while Tuhkur Sanni was rescued by a joint team of police officers, military personnel and local vigilantes.

He added that three of the four suspected attackers were neutralised during the operation.