Suspected armed bandits on Monday launched a coordinated midnight assault on Yashikira community in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, attacking both the police divisional headquarters and the palace of the Emir of Yashikira, Alhaji Umaru Seriki Usman.
The attackers reportedly abducted at least 10 persons, including two wives of the traditional ruler and some of his children, during the operation which threw the border community into panic.
Residents said the heavily armed assailants stormed the town around 2:00am and first attacked the Yashikira Police Divisional Headquarters where they allegedly carted away ammunition before proceeding to the emir’s palace amid sporadic gunfire.
Witnesses said terrified residents fled into nearby bushes as gunshots echoed across the community for several minutes.
Part of the palace was set ablaze during the invasion while some animals within the premises, including turkeys, were also killed. The emir, however, escaped unharmed.
The lawmaker representing the constituency in the Kwara State House of Assembly, Baba Saliu, who provided further details on the attack, said the gunmen operated in a coordinated manner and opened fire immediately they arrived at the palace.
“They first invaded the police station and carted away some ammunition before heading to the palace.
“They immediately opened fire when they got to the palace on the vehicles and other things. The emir escaped but they abducted his two wives, children and others around.
“Though we are still gathering figures, about 10 should be the number of the abductees. They set the palace ablaze and killed about two turkeys. But nobody was killed”, he said.
According to him, the monarch has temporarily been advised to leave the community for safety reasons pending the restoration of normalcy.
Chairman of Baruten Local Government Area, Issa Jubril, also confirmed the incident. “The monarch was able to escape during the incident,” he said.
Asked whether women and children from the palace were among those abducted, he responded: “Yes, but I will not be able to give you the exact figures and identities of the victims now.
“But our emir is safe and the town is calm now. We immediately put in a lot of efforts to alert the relevant security agencies and they are on top of the situation.”
The Kwara State Police Command equally confirmed the attack. The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said the incident was carried out by suspected bandits who attacked in the early hours of Monday.
She disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, had ordered a full-scale intelligence-driven operation involving tactical police units, the military, forest guards and vigilante groups to rescue the abducted victims and apprehend the attackers.
According to her, security deployment has also been reinforced across vulnerable communities in the state, while surveillance and bush-combing operations are ongoing.
The latest assault has again drawn attention to growing insecurity in Kwara North, particularly in Baruten and Kaiama axis, where communities bordering the Benin Republic and neighbouring states have increasingly come under attacks from armed groups exploiting vast forests and difficult terrains.
