The Kwara State Police Command has confirmed that suspected armed bandits attacked Yashikira community in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, abducting 10 people and setting part of the Emir’s palace on fire.
According to the police, the attackers carried out a coordinated midnight operation, simultaneously targeting the Yashikira Police Divisional Headquarters and the palace of the Emir, Umar Seriki.
While security operatives successfully repelled the attack on the police station, the bandits reportedly abducted 10 persons and fled to an unknown destination.
Residents said the attackers stormed the community on motorcycles between midnight and 2:00 a.m., firing gunshots into the air before advancing on the palace.
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Sources disclosed that three wives and four children of the Emir were among those kidnapped. Several vehicles within the palace premises were also burnt, causing extensive property damage.
The Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, has ordered a joint security operation involving the military, police, vigilantes, forest guards and other security agencies to rescue the victims and apprehend the perpetrators. Authorities say bush-combing and surveillance operations are already underway across the area.
The attack is the latest in a series of security incidents affecting communities in Kwara North, where banditry and kidnappings have increased in recent months across Baruten, Kaiama, Edu and Patigi local government areas.