Bandits Attack Kwara, Burn Vehicles During Raid

Suspected bandits in the early hours of Friday invaded Eruku community in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, burning a vehicle during the attack before local security operatives repelled them.
Residents said the incident occurred at about 5:00 a.m. when heavily armed gunmen stormed the community, firing sporadically and causing panic among villagers.
A resident of the community said Eruku has suffered repeated attacks by suspected bandits in recent times, raising concerns about the worsening security situation in the area.
“Eruku is my village. This is not the first time bandits are attacking us,” the resident said. “The last time they came, they struck during a church live programme.”
According to the resident, the attackers returned again in the early hours of Friday, shooting into the air and setting a vehicle ablaze during the raid.
“The bandits came very early in the morning and burned vehicles. I heard they are kidnapping and killing people. We are calling for help because this place is no longer safe,” the resident added.
However, a local security source in the council area said security operatives, including vigilantes and forest guards, confronted the attackers and prevented the situation from escalating.
“It was an attempted kidnapping which was repelled by security operatives,” the source said.
Eruku community lies along the boundary between Kwara and neighbouring Kogi State, an area residents say has increasingly become vulnerable to attacks by armed groups operating from nearby forests.
According to a source, the community’s proximity to settlements in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, where banditry and kidnapping have intensified, has made Eruku and surrounding villages easy targets for criminal gangs.
“This is the boundary between Kogi and Kwara. The entire Yagba West axis is facing serious bandit attacks. They are killing and abducting people there, and now they are also coming to our communities,” the source added.
Residents lamented that the repeated attacks have left many villagers living in constant fear, forcing some families to consider leaving their homes if urgent security measures are not taken.
They called on the Kwara State Government and security agencies to deploy more security personnel and strengthen their presence in border communities to prevent further attacks.