By: Odeh Favour Adiya
The Kwara State Police Command has confirmed a coordinated midnight attack by suspected armed bandits on the Yashikira community in Baruten Local Government Area.
The attackers, who struck in the early hours of Monday, set a section of the Emir’s palace on fire and abducted 10 people, including members of the traditional ruler’s immediate family.
According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, the incident occurred at about 2:00 a.m. The armed criminals launched a simultaneous assault on both the Yashikira Police Divisional Headquarters and the palace of the Emir, Alhaji Umar Seriki.
While security operatives on duty successfully repelled the attack on the police station, the bandits managed to breach the palace complex. Local sources revealed that the attackers arrived on motorcycles, firing sporadically into the air to terrorize residents before breaking into the inner compound.
An anonymous resident confirmed that the traditional ruler was not present in the palace at the time of the invasion. However, the gunmen forcibly took three of the Emir’s wives and four of his children, alongside three other community residents, before fleeing the scene.
Before making their escape, the bandits set several vehicles parked within the palace premises ablaze, causing extensive property damage estimated to be worth millions of naira.
Following the audacious raid, the Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, ordered a full-scale tactical operation across the axis. A combined team of the military, police, forest guards, and local vigilantes have commenced bush-combing and surveillance operations to track down the attackers and rescue the victims.
This latest incident highlights a worrying escalation of banditry in Kwara North, which has witnessed repeated attacks on rural communities, highways, and traditional institutions across Baruten, Kaiama, Edu, and Patigi local government areas in recent months.
