Man killed as bandits abduct wives of Fulani leader in Kwara

A fresh attack by suspected bandits in Lafiagi, headquarters of Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State, has left one person dead and two women abducted The attack, it was gathered, occurred on Monday night in Sodo/Sawmill area on the outskirts of Lafiagi. Armed men reportedly stormed a Fulani settlement and targeted a prominent Fulani leader in the community. Residents said the attackers invaded the settlement at about 8 p.m., shooting sporadically and causing panic among villagers. The gunmen reportedly seized the two women before fleeing the area. Sources in the community said the violence escalated as the attackers retreated. A male resident was reportedly shot dead during the incident. Security sources said troops and other security personnel responded to distress calls and engaged the attackers, forcing them to abandon parts of their operation and retreat into nearby forests. Confirming the incident to Daily Trust on Tuesday night, the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, said one man was killed while two wives of the Fulani leader were abducted during the raid. “Yes, one man was killed while two women, 25 and 35 years of age, who are wives of the Seriki Fulani, were abducted,” the police commissioner said. He explained that the attackers appeared to have specifically targeted the Fulani leader, identified as an Ardo, but failed to apprehend him. “The attackers targeted the Fulani leader, Ardo. And for now, we are still on their trail because before we got there the military had repelled them before they ran into the forest, but we are on their trail,” Adekimi added. The latest incident adds to growing security concerns in Edu and neighbouring local government areas of Kwara North, where communities have witnessed repeated attacks, kidnappings and violent incursions by armed groups in recent months. Residents have renewed calls for stronger security presence, intensified surveillance and sustained operations against criminal elements operating within forest corridors around the region.