Seven construction workers, including two officials of the Kwara State Ministry of Works, have been abducted by suspected terrorists in Oba, a town in the Isin Local Government Area of the state.
SaharaReporters, which first reported the incident, quoted a local source as saying the workers were seized on Tuesday while carrying out an ongoing construction project in the community.
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According to the source, the attackers stormed the construction site, overpowered the workers and forced them into the bush without immediate resistance. “The attackers came suddenly, overpowered the workers and marched them into the bush,” the source said.
The identities of the victims have not been officially released, and as of the time of filing this report. It remained unclear whether the abductors had contacted the families or made any ransom demands.
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As of the time of filing this report, efforts to obtain official confirmation were unsuccessful, as repeated calls to the Commissioner for Communications in Kwara State and the spokesperson of the Kwara State Police Command were not returned.
The incident comes amid heightened security concerns and conflicting reports about banditry-related activities in parts of Kwara State.
Earlier this week, viral videos and reports on social media claimed that soldiers arrested armed bandits allegedly operating with AK-47 rifles and a patrol vehicle in Ifelodun Local Government Area.
However, the Kwara State Government dismissed those claims as misinformation, saying no such arrest took place in Ifelodun or anywhere in the state.
The Commissioner for Communications, Bolanle Olukoju, said the suspects seen in the viral video were reportedly arrested in Auchi, Edo State, and warned against “misrepresenting things” in ways that could cause public panic.
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Despite the government’s clarification, the latest abduction in Isin Local Government Area has renewed fears among residents about the spread of violent crime in Kwara, a state that has in recent years recorded attacks and kidnappings linked to armed groups operating across the North-Central and adjoining regions.
Security analysts say the incident underscores the need for stronger inter-agency coordination and intelligence-sharing to prevent criminals from exploiting rural communities and major infrastructure projects.
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